New Year: champagne in the glasses and celebration of the new year with its promises and hopes. But there is not much hope and optimism in the Danish media. The New Year started with the introduction of ID-control on the Danish-Swedish border. Not since 1954 has it been necessary to show identification between the two Scandinavian countries. For more than 60 years you could travel freely between them. This is extremely indicative of the situation at the dawn of 2016.

The Danish general elections on June 18th provided victory to the right wing. Venstre (the Liberal Party) is now forming a minority government which will count on the support of the racist and nationalist Dansk Folkeparti (the Danish People’s Party or DPP).

After the crisis broke out in 2008 workers and youth in Denmark were keeping their heads down in the face of attacks from the government and the bosses. Those struggles which did take place went down to defeats and therefore confidence was shaken. Now, however, with the the government's “fast-track-reform” in the universities, many youth have started raising their heads and are beginning to fight back.

The Danish Social Democratic prime minister was booed off stage in several cities as the country witnessed the most dramatic May Day for the past two decades. Her party is now down to the lowest levels ever in the polls, following massive attacks against workers and youth.

In November 2011 Denmark’s right-wing coalition government led by the Liberal party (Venstre) lost the general election to the centre-left coalition led by the Social Democrats. This election marked the end of a period of neo-liberal domination in Danish politics that had lasted ten years. Many working people hoped that this new centre-left coalition government would mean a change in economic and social policy, not least because for the first time ever the Socialist People’s Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti, SF) was participating in the government. Although it should also be said that, along with the Social Democrats and the SF, the government also embraced the liberal-centrist party,

While we witness sharp shifts to the left in countries like Greece and France, as we see militant struggles developing in Portugal and Spain and other countries across Europe, this year’s May Day celebrations in Denmark revealed that there too opposition to austerity is growing among the workers and youth, as this report from the comrades of Socialistisk Standpunkt in Denmark clearly demonstrates.

A new government was finally formed last week in Denmark. It is clear that the participation of the Radical Left (a bourgeois party) is going to prove to be catastrophic for the working class. The programme of the new government is a continuation of the right wing’s attack on early retirement, unemployment benefits, etc. All talk about a “fair solution” to the economic problems of Denmark and that “the broadest shoulders also should bear some of the burden” has now disappeared.

Finally after ten years the right-wing government consisting of Venstre (Liberals), the Conservatives and with support from outside by the populist, racist Danish Peoples Party (DF) was defeated in the elections on September 15.  The result is very mixed one which will lead to a very turbulent political situation in Denmark.

The historic crisis of capitalism, and revolution in the Middle East and Europe was part of the background to the 10^th anniversary celebrations of the Danish Marxist tendency Socialistisk Standpunkt held on the 24^th September.

Draconian austerity measures are being imposed on the Danish workers by the conservative government presently in power, including plans to sack 20,000 public sector workers. This has provoked a massive worker backlash, with the recent 80,000-strong demonstration in Copenhagen. This is a taste of what is to come.

At a public meeting organized by various trade union, political organizations, and solidarity campaigns (including Hands Off Venezuela), more than 3,000 people in Copenhagen heard President Hugo Chávez correctly point out that a socialist revolution is the only solution to the problems of humanity.

A very militant strike of refuse collectors has broken out in Denmark, which has become a focal point of class struggle in the whole country. What the bosses are attempting to achieve in this strike is a major attack on trade union rights in general. The aim is to break the strike and then launch a wider attack on workers in other sectors. A lot is at stake for Danish workers.

On Thursday, a 25,000 strong demonstration was held in the Danish capital Copenhagen. This was a reaction against forced deportation of a group of Iraqi refugees, as well as police brutality against peaceful demonstrators who tried to stop the police from arresting the Iraqis who had taken refuge in a church in Copenhagen.

This year May Day in Denmark was very different from previous years, with 200,000 demonstrating in Copenhagen. A sharp shift to the left is noticeable among Danish workers, who on the one hand are feeling the shock effect of the severe economic crisis, but also seeking radical left alternatives.