Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fence of an abandoned military base at the east side of Christianshavn and turned the site
into the still-thriving commune of Christiania.
Denmark's external relationships were not without their troubles either. It joined the
European Community, the predecessor of the European Union (EU), in 1973, but has been
rather more hesitant about the subsequent expansion of the EU's powers. Denmark rejec-
ted the 1992 Maastricht Treaty (which set the terms for much greater economic and polit-
ical cooperation) as well as the adoption of the euro.
Meanwhile, Denmark maintained its leadership stance for socially liberal policies, in-
cluding same-sex unions (instituted in 1989) and aggressive implementation of alternative
energy sources.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the government was a coalition of the centre-right
Venstre party and the Conservative People's Party, sometimes also calling on the support
of the generally nationalist right-wing Danish People's Party (DPP). This new power
structure led Denmark to impose some of the toughest immigration laws in Europe in
2002, including restrictions on marriage between Danes and foreigners.
A History of Denmark
by Palle Lauring is a well-written excursion through the lives and
times of the Danish people.
Modern Times
The first decade of the 21st century proved somewhat turbulent by Danish standards. Con-
cerns over immigration - particularly from Muslim countries - saw a resurgence of the
political right and increased support for the traditionalist DPP. In practical terms, the
DPP's participation contributed to Denmark's joining the USA, UK and other allies in the
2003 Iraq War and Denmark's commitment to maintain its role in Afghanistan.
In 2006 Denmark found itself in the unfamiliar role of villain in the eyes of many
Muslims following the publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed - a deep
taboo for many Muslims but an issue of freedom of speech for liberal news editors - in the
Jyllands-Posten
newspaper. The depiction sparked violent demonstrations across the
world, the beamed images of protestors burning Danish flags shocking a nation not accus-
tomed to such intense, widespread vitriol.
By 2010 the political pendulum began swinging to the left again as discontent over the
country's stuttering economic performance grew. In September 2011 parliamentary elec-
