Socialist but militaristic and an ally of Meloni: Denmark holds the EU presidency
The Danish government is one of the toughest against immigration and most pro-rearmament in the European bloc.
BrusselsDenmark is one of the few countries in the European Union where the social democratic family still governsHowever, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's anti-immigration rhetoric is very similar to that of Giorgia Meloni's far-right views and, among others, is one of the most militaristic voices in the European bloc. These two positions will significantly influence the Danish government's rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union—the EU institution that represents the member states and hosts ministerial meetings—which begins this Tuesday, July 1, and ends on December 31 of this year.
The influence of the government that holds the six-monthly presidency of the Council of the EU is quite significant. It has a certain degree of leeway to decide which issues it puts on the table and, above all, which initiatives it accelerates or slows down. In this regard, the Danish ambassador to the EU, Carsten Gronbech-Jensen, assured in a press conference this Monday that the Danish government "will work to advance" the legislative dossiers related to the tightening of anti-immigration measures and to promote the rearmament of the continent.
One of the main measures that the member states will discuss during the Danish presidency is the legislative package presented by Ursula von der Leyen, which seeks to provide legal backing for the Meloni plan: deporting people living illegally in the EU to migrant camps outside the EU. Furthermore, Brussels has proposed expanding the list of countries considered safe and, therefore, agreements can be reached on the deportation of new arrivals, even if the migrant has no relationship with them.
The reform of human rights treaties
It should be remembered that the so-called Meloni plan has had from the very beginning Frederiksen's unequivocal support, which before the Italian leader came to power had already proposed deporting and outsourcing the management of asylum seekers in Rwanda. In fact, the Danish Social Democrat and the Italian far-right leader launched a petition at the end of May to the European Commission to "open public debate" on certain treaties, such as the European Convention.
According to Meloni herself, the intention is for member states to have "more sovereignty" to address some of the "main challenges" they must face, "especially immigration." She criticized Italy for "not being able to deport immigrants tainted by serious crimes." In turn, the Danish Socialist confirmed that she "completely agreed" with her Italian counterpart.
Beyond immigration, Frederiksen is also one of the most militaristic voices in the EU, constantly pressuring other partners to accelerate military spending. Thus, as confirmed by the Danish ambassador to the EU on Monday, the Danish government will also try to accelerate the approval of all the measures in von der Leyen's financing plan to rearm Europe. Among other measures, it includes greater fiscal space in the deficit ceiling, diverting already approved EU funds to defense, and the creation of eurobonds in the form of loans to member states. In total, Brussels aims to mobilize some €800 billion over four years.