Frederiksen is frightened
The new Danish EU presidency is under threat from Trump - and afraid of Putin
This has never happened before: on 1 July, a country that lives in constant fear and is preparing for two wars has taken over the six-month EU Council Presidency.
We are talking about Denmark. Prime Minister Frederiksen has a very real concern: that US President Trump could make good on his threat to annex Greenland.
And she has what at first glance seems like an irrational fear: that Russia could attack. ‘Denmark is preparing for war,’ according to a sensational report by n-tv.
Denmark calls women to arms
The fear is so great that Frederiksen even wants to call women to arms. They will be subject to compulsory military service in 2026. Civilians above the age of conscription will also be involved.
Why Kremlin leader Putin should attack Denmark of all places is unclear – the two countries are only connected by the Baltic Sea, and there are no shared borders or territorial claims.
The case with Trump is quite different. He has made his claims more than clear. And in Iran, he has just made it clear that he is prepared to use military force – even overseas.
‘Safe, competitive and green’
‘We depend on the support of the US. Therefore, we must signal that we want the US as an ally,’ says Danish political scientist Ulrik Pram Gad. Not a good prerequisite for the EU presidency.
The programme presented by Frederiksen therefore avoids all possible conflicts. The EU is to become ‘secure, competitive and green’. It couldn't be more banal.
Ahead of the first major test – the customs and trade dispute with the US, deadline 9 July – the Danes are ducking away. Frederiksen is clearly afraid of attracting Trump's attention...
This is the English version of my German newsletter from Brussels on EU affairs, the “Watchlist EUropa” (three times a week, subscription here).