Hummelgaard calls for state power to tackle Denmark’s divide

Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard says the Finance Ministry must use its full analytical strength and creativity to address growing disparities across Denmark, DR reports. He acknowledges that he does not yet have a clear plan for how to restore balance.

“To be completely honest, I do not yet have a clear idea of how we are going to do this,” Hummelgaard said after spending a day in Nakskov, where the Finance Ministry had temporarily relocated.

He said finding solutions would require the courage to think differently. “If we are really going to make a difference, there is a need for the Finance Ministry’s full muscle and analytical power, and also creativity, to look at how some of these problems can be solved,” he said.

Hummelgaard met Lolland Mayor Marie-Louise Brehm Nielsen of the local list Din Stemme, as well as concerned islanders and representatives of a local education centre. The centre highlighted the difficulty of attracting students despite local businesses being ready to offer jobs, while young people in the area lag behind the rest of the country academically.

Sixteen students from Byskolen in Nakskov also spoke with the minister about life as young people and the logistical challenges they face. Some said they had experienced several school closures, which followed years of serious financial problems in the municipality.

Hummelgaard said the differences across Denmark were “very, very” concerning. He said he had decided to become deeply involved in the issue because the Finance Ministry’s resources were needed to examine the structural causes of the problems.

“I think there are many places where people miss greater engagement from politicians and the state,” he said.

The government has announced a comprehensive plan intended to create a better balance across the country. According to Hummelgaard, the Finance Ministry will play an unusually important role in developing it.

He compared the challenge with Copenhagen in the 1980s, when the city faced industrial ruins and major social and economic problems. The turning point, he said, came when the state became involved.

“There are no areas in Denmark, I think, that are driven solely by the expectation that someone from the state will come and help them,” Hummelgaard said. “But I think there are many places where people want politicians and the state to engage more.”