The political climate in Denmark, June 7

The first day in Copenhagen was sunny and beautiful yet it was contrasted by Clement Kjersgaard’s presentation on the controversial political climate in Denmark. Although it was difficult to summarize national politics in an hour, he was able to convey the tension of national agenda especially concerning minority rights. The nation has changed from having an international perspective to focusing on national interests which have apparently grown from international problems. Denmark has surprisingly closed the door to global issues in order to remove any responsibility from addressing these concerns. After a relaxing lunch break by the beautiful canals we had a presentation by Jonas Christoffersen concerning the link between the European Court of Human Rights and the Danish National Court. He described that international conventions have been used to implement similar human rights laws within Denmark however different national law traditions affect how these laws are being implemented domestically. Christoffersen also stressed how the ECHR has been a victim of its own success in the sense that they are not able to effectively address every case due to growing numbers of lawsuits. Overall, it was an interesting start to the Danish program and we ended the day off at Kongens Have enjoying the last hours of sunshine.

By – Mette Buskjær Christensen and Moabi Garebamonob