Denmark: An open economy, but a closed immigration system (part 1)

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FRANCE 24 heads north to the kingdom of Denmark. The Scandinavian country has been in the spotlight this year, holding the rotating presidency of the European Council from July to December and pushing forward its priorities such as migration and the energy transition – topics that we dive into in this show. In this first part of the programme, our focus is on defence and migration.

Denmark used to be a Eurosceptic country, voting against the Maastricht Treaty and opting out of the single currency. Denmark was also traditionally thought of as a "frugal" member of the EU when it came to common expenditure. But all this has changed with the war in Ukraine and the long shadow that Russia casts over the Baltic and Nordic regions.

We take a closer look at one of the key priorities of Denmark's EU presidency: Europe's defence policy, in an era marked by the US retreat from Europe and Russia's increasingly aggressive posture. Indeed, Denmark has been dealing with a series of drone incursions over its territory. To discuss these issues, our team meets with one of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament, Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose from the Socialists and Democrats, as well as with the head of the Danish Defence Intelligence Service, Thomas Ahrenkiel.

We also illuminate a specifically Danish phenomenon: a left-leaning, Social Democratic-led government that pursues a very hard line on migration and asylum. It's a strategy that seems to be gaining ground in the EU. This December, EU member states gave the green light to tightening immigration policy, including the setting up of controversial "return hubs" outside the bloc.

At home, Denmark's move to crack down on what the government calls "parallel societies" has faced accusations that it discriminates against people of migrant heritage. To discuss these questions, we meet with former Renew MEP Karen Melchior from the European think tank CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies), and we visit Nørrebro, a multicultural district of Copenhagen, where we watch local football team Nørrebro United.

Our reporter Charlotte Prudhomme investigates the impact of fake news in Denmark, and the efforts being made to counter them.

And our reporter Luke Brown meets the people most affected by Denmark’s hard line on immigration: two young women who fled Syria a decade ago. We discuss how they cope with the uncertainty of not knowing if they'll be able to stay in Denmark.

Show presented by Armen Georgian, produced by Charlotte Prudhomme, filmed on location by Charlotte Prudhomme and Stéphane Bodenne, with Luke Brown. Editor-in-chief: Caroline de Camaret.