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Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen: Abolish public holidays
Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/AP
Denmark is taking an unusual step to fund its rising military spending: the country is scrapping a public holiday.
In the Danish parliament, after hours of debate, a majority of 95 MPs voted to scrap the »Store bededag« (English: »Great Day of Prayer«).
From 2024 it should now be considered a general working day.
68 MPs were against.
In January, the government announced that it wanted to abolish the public holiday, which has been observed in Denmark every Friday four weeks after Easter since the 17th century.
According to the government plans, employees with a fixed wage should receive a salary supplement of 0.45 percent of the annual salary.
Three billion crowns for the state treasury
According to government calculations, the additional working day should bring about an additional three billion Danish kroner (about 400 million euros) into the state coffers.
The proceeds are to be spent on the defense budget in order to be able to achieve NATO's two percent target as early as 2030 instead of 2033 as originally planned.
The government argued that this was necessary against the background of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"I don't think it's a problem to have to work an extra day," said Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
There are "enormous expenses" for defense, security, health, psychiatry and "green transformation," she said in parliament, "and there is no financial leeway."
protests in Copenhagen
The project had triggered criticism and protests in Denmark in recent weeks.
Around 50,000 people demonstrated in front of the Parliament in Copenhagen in early February.
Unions launched an online petition, which nearly 500,000 people signed.
Clergymen criticized the government and spoke of a "breach of trust".
During the debate, MPs from the opposition called the government's plans "foolish", "crazy" and "completely wrong".
"The government is ordering people to work one day longer," complained Karsten Hønge of the Socialist People's Party.
ptz/dpa/AFP/AP