Det mener partierne...
24timer, 26/10-07, p.4
Originally published in Danish. Annotated translation to English by JakeS. Parties are listed in order of fiscal policy from left to right.
Ø - Unity List
Immigration and foreigners
Favours affirmitive action aimed at ensuring equality for ethnic minorities. For example in terms of company policy [I think this is newspeak for prohibiting employers from establishing dress-codes that prohibit hijab - Jake]. Wants Denmark to accept more refugees and treat them better than they are being treated today.
Tax
Is very much in favour of redistribution via taxation policy. The rich should pay most, and corporations should pay more than they do today. Wishes to increase the taxation of real estate [see Note II - Jake] and securities.
Environment
Has a clear ecological [see Note III - Jake] profile and wants to reduce man's environmental footprint. Finds Danish membership the European Union to be detrimental to the environment. [Unity List is also strongly committed to sustainable energy - Jake]
Crime
Will increase enforcement against crimes related to violation of environmental regulation, violation of laws governing safety on the workplace and serious economic crime. Focuses on protecting the citizens from government abuse [I think that's newspeak for attempting to castrate Big Brother - Jake] and wishes to reduce crime by reducing financial inequality.
Elderly
Does not have a strong stance w.r.t. elderly in particular, but desires equal, public and free access to health care for everyone. Demands at least DKK 13500/month to pensioners [ca. € 1800/month. It is not clear from the article whether this is disposable income or something else - Jake].
Health
Unity List desires a fully tax-financed and public health care sector. Pay-per-service can only be discussed for so-called luxury treatments such as cosmetic operations. Finds that terminal patients should have the right to ending their days at a hospice. Will turn small hospitals into health centres [precisely what a 'health centre' is and how it differs from a hospital is not clear to me, but presumably it's newspeak for not wanting to close local health care units - Jake].
SF - Socialist Popular Party
Immigration and foreigners
SF is against the current government's harsh policy on immigration and foreigners. The party wants all people, regardless of skin colour, gender, ethnicity, nationality or religion, to be governed by the same rules.
Tax
Will lower taxes on income and increase taxes on real estate [see Note II - Jake]. Wants to eliminate bundskatten [the tax paid by the lowest income brackets - Jake] and increase personfradraget [the threshold below which income is not taxed - Jake]. Favours increased taxation of large pensions and favours increased corporate taxes.
Environment
Very green environmental policy. Desires more ecological [see Note III - Jake] agriculture and desires a phase-out of pesticides in conventional [i.e. non-ecological - Jake] agriculture. Desires a 30 % reduction in run-off nutrients [see Note IV - Jake]. [SF is also strongly committed to sustainable energy - Jake]
Crime
Doubts the notion that harsher punishment deters crime. Argues for prevention efforts by, among other things, increasing social mobility and education for prisoners.
Elderly
Will employ 5000 additional people to take care of our elderly, to make more time for individual care [this has been one of SF's major selling points in the campaign so far - Jake]. There should be enough time for caretakers to make small-talk with the people in their care. Desires higher wages for the people in the care sector.
Health
Is against the establishment of private hospitals. Desires behandlingsgaranti [lit. 'guarantee of treatment.' I have only a vague idea of what the term covers - Jake] for life-threatening diseases. Is against all kinds of individualized fees and charges for hospital patients.
S - Social Democrats
Immigration and foreigners
The party is divided between a 'harsh' wing and a 'lax' wing. The harsh wing dominates at the moment, and the party has settled on harsh admission criteria for foreigners.
Tax
A major theme of the electoral campaign is tax cuts, and S make a virtue of not promising tax cuts; rather they promise to use the surplus to improve welfare. Largely agrees with the tax stop [see Note V - Jake].
Environment
While Sven Auken was minister of the environment during the Poul Nyrup Rasmussen governments the party had a very strong environmental profile, particularly on the subject of sustainable energy.
Crime
Is in favour of stronger punishments and is e.g. in favour of the [controversial - Jake] prohibition against wearing masks at demonstrations. Desires, however, to see crime and punishment in connection with social policy such as education, health and social mobility.
Elderly
The Social Democratic position on care for the elderly hit a land mine when Poul Nyrup Rasmussen broke his 1998 campaign promise not to touch efterlønnen [a particularly generous retirement option - Jake]. S has stipulated a number of 'Welfare Rights' for elderly people [and everyone else, for that matter - Jake].
Health
S is fundamentally opposed to private hospitals, but no longer demands that they be closed. Desires behandlingsgaranti for patients with life-threatening conditions. Is against all kinds of individualized fees and charges for hospital patients.
KD - Christian Democrats [sic] (f.k.a. Christian Popular Party)
Immigration and foreigners
Wants all asylum seekers to be permitted into the Danish labour market as soon as they have filed for asylum. Finds that it is the ability to integrate foreigners that is decisive, rather than the number of foreigners [this is almost word-for-word the 2001 S and R position on this issue. Whether this is a coincidence or a deliberate bid to return to the status quo ante I do not know. Nor are we likely to see, as KD will not make it to parliament - Jake]
Tax
Will design the tax system to consider the family as a unit [this sets off all of my newspeak detectors, but I'll be damned if I know what they mean by it - Jake]. Is unconcerned by the general taxation levels. Desires a job-deduction for all employed.
Environment
Desires sustainable development and finds that it is necessary for the first world to reduce its standard of living if we are to avoid unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and reduce pollution.
Crime
Will increase the penalties for rape, trafficking, distribution of child pornography and sexual abuse of children. Desires a heightened focus on criminal minors.
Elderly
Will define standards of care for health care and build more homes for old people. Will establish a plejegaranti [lit. 'guarantee of care.' As for what it means, your guess is as good as mine - Jake] for the elderly.
Health
Desires a fully tax-financed health care system. Favours the right to choose your own hospital [in practice the system that handles this today is designed to channel money and patients from the public to the private hospitals - Jake] and private hospitals. Wishes to strengthen preventive care. [Until recently opposed to abortion - Jake]
R - Social Liberal Party
Immigration and foreigners
Has been divided on the subject of immigration for years, but the formation of New Alliance has removed that tension. Is opposed to the 24-year-rule [see Note VI - Jake]
Tax
Is opposed to the tax stop [see Note V - Jake] and wishes to reform the taxation system so that the income tax is lowered. This is financed in their model by increasing tax on real estate [see Note II - Jake] and increasing 'green taxes' [taxes on things like petrol, energy, water, etc. - Jake]
Environment
Has a strong environmental profile and has previously occupied the environmental ministry. Supports sustainable development. Wishes to phase out the use of pesticides in Denmark.
Crime
Not a major issue for R. Prevention is the key to the Social Liberal justice policy more than increasing penalties.
Elderly
Does not mention free, individual choice [of private vs. public service provider - Jake], but finds that the elderly should have a say in their everyday lives. Has as an objective that as many elderly as possible should be able to take care of themselves.
Health
Favours the right to choose your own hospital [see Health section of KD - Jake] and private hospitals. Wants to prohibit doctors from simultaneously being employed by a public and a private hospital [due to possible conflicts of interest - Jake]. Is in favour of behandlingsgaranti and supports user fees in certain cases - such as cosmetic surgery.
DF - Danish Popular Party
Immigration and foreigners
The entire identity of the party is based on the harsh immigration policy. Desires as few refugees and immigrants in Denmark as possible and does only reluctantly vote for permitting skilled labour entry.
Tax
Vetoed Conservative desires for tax cuts in the top income bracket, but finds that the general taxation level should be decreased. Finds that tax cuts should take place in the lower income brackets.
Environment
Has never had a strong environmental policy and warns against ideologically charged environmental policy [this sounds like AGW-denier newspeak to my ears - Jake]. Will not limit the availability and utility of cars, but wants to impose standards for cleaner exhaust.
Crime
A law-and-order-party, in favour of harsher penalties. Desires more uniformed police in the streets. Supports the use of anonymous witnesses and agent provocateurs and supports increased video surveillance in the public sphere.
Elderly
Second only to immigrants as a priority for DF. The party champions better conditions for the elderly and has on several occasions secured special appropriations specifically for the elderly.
Health
Finds that newly graduated doctors should be required to work in the public health care system for at least 7 years [see Note VII - Jake]. Supports private hospitals, the right to choose your hospital [see R and KD - Jake] and behandlingsgaranti. Wants to remove public funding for non-prescribed treatments and surgery.
V - Liberal Party
Immigration and foreigners
The current government's ideological hardliner on the issue. Anders Fogh Rasmussen's success as Prime Minister is strongly tied to - among other things - limiting the number of refugees admitted into Denmark and establishing the 24-year-rule [see Note VI - Jake].
Tax
Has had vicious fights with the Conservatives over the issue of tax cuts in the top-most income brackets. Desires tax cuts but has toned down this desire for tactical reasons. [That's putting it mighty gently. They're lying through their teeth about it at every turn - both about the tax cuts they want to make and the tax cuts they have made - Jake]
Environment
The environmental profile has for many years been stained by their traditional connection to agriculture [see Note IV - Jake]. In the run-up to the election, they have started singing a new tune, and PM Fogh now acknowledges that parts of the global warming is anthropogenic. [The Liberals were the ones who championed Bjørn Lomborg back when he was still taken seriously as anything other than comic relief - Jake]
Crime
A law-and-order party. Guards the rule of law and is generally in favour of harsher penalties for criminals. Gives priority to speedy prosecution.
Elderly
As a liberalist party, the Liberals have championed free choice [between public and private providers - Jake] in the care for the elderly. One of the Fogh government's first moves was to establish the so-called ældrecheck [a symbolic monetary transfer to needy elderly citizens. It was mainly DF's idea, but hey, who's counting... - Jake]
Health
The Liberals favour the establishment of private hospitals and believes [with religious fervour - Jake] that increased competition will strengthen the public hospitals. Favours free choice of hospital [see KD, R, DF - Jake].
K - Conservative Popular Party
Immigration and foreigners
Supports the government's harsh immigration policies but the party contains a wing that is uncomfortable with the close association with DF. Immigrants should not automatically be entitled to bringing their spouse to Denmark.
Tax
The party has made tax cuts - including tax cuts in the very top - a major prestige issue, since the Conservatives are fundamentally opposed to progressive taxation. Pushed the Liberals into tax cuts in the top income brackets.
Environment
Many conservative voters are captains of industry or otherwise self-employed, and thus the party has not traditionally had a strong environmental policy. With the employment of Connie Hedegaard as minister for the environment, this image is improved even though the government has cut the budgets for environmental protection since 2001. [See Note VIII - Jake]
Crime
A law-and-order party. Like the Liberals, they are committed to harsh penalties and a strong enforcement of existing law. Minister of justice Lene Espersen is the party's strongest card on this issue [at least if you like Big Brother, 'cause she sure does - Jake].
Elderly
Despite many aging voters the party does not have a strong profile here. Desires free choice [between public and private providers - Jake] in the care for the elderly.
Health
Struggled for years for dissolving the amter, which the conservatives did not find handled health care appropriately [they succeeded only halfway. Instead of amter we got the regions which are the bastard children of amter and a centralised health care system - Jake]. Is in favour of behandlingsgaranti. Finds that IVF treatment and cosmetic surgery, among other things, should be paid by the patient rather than the state.
NA - New Alliance
Immigration and foreigners
Desires a harsh immigration policy, but wants to remove and reduce some of the current government's restrictions. Will change the 24-year-rule into a 28-year-rule.
Tax
Will completely revise the Danish tax system, and cap the income tax at 40 % [they're talking about flat tax, too - Jake]. Supports the tax stop [see Note V - Jake] for - among other things - taxes on real estate [see Note II - Jake].
Environment
Wants 30 % of Denmark's area to lie fallow by 2050. Will reduce the wash-out of nitrates [see Note IV - Jake] and move towards sustainability and ecology [see Note III - Jake].
Crime
Is in favour of the police-co-operation in the Union. Will reduce the time spent waiting in lines in the judicial system, e.g. through immediately serving time [straksafsoning].
Elderly
Finds that need rather than age should determine the level of public support [this is newspeak for cutting benefits - Jake]. Desires more flexibility in the care of the elderly.
Health
Supports tax-funded health care. New Alliance thinks that private health insurance shouldn't be an alternative to public health care, but could be a supplement [I think this is newspeak for reducing public health care to the lowest common denominator - and then a bit - and letting private insurance take up the slack - Jake]
Recall that the current governing parties as of this writing are V and K, supported by DF.
Note I: I refer you to this comment for explanation of the abbreviations used, as well as my own take on the parties.
Note II: To fully understand the differences between the taxation schemes favoured by the different parties, a little background on the Danish economy of the past half-decade is required. The current economic boom is at least partially [and I personally suspect a great deal more than 'partially'] attributable to rising real estate prices and cheap borrowing driving up consumption.
The real estate prices have been driven up by several factors, including two important political decisions. First, a deregulation of the lending market that has allowed banks and credit institutions to sell and market loans where the debtor does not start repaying the principal for a number of years, thus only paying the accruing interest. Second, a freeze of taxes paid on owning real estate, which translates to a net tax cut when you factor in inflation.
This has, of course, had two unfortunate effects: First, an as-yet-unknown part of our current boom is driven by the spending of borrowed money. While that may be neat enough when it comes to turning the economy around during a recession, I seem to recall from civics class that spending borrowed money during a boom is considered A Bad Thing.
Second, the soaring real estate prices has transferred large sums of money from first-time buyers and people who for some reason had to move to more expensive homes (e.g. because of a divorce, because they got a job in a city as opposed to the countryside, because they had children and needed more space) to those who moved from a more expensive house to a less expensive one (e.g. because their children left home, because they died or because they left a job that required two homes for a job that allowed easy commute).
The scale of this redistribution of wealth cannot be overstated, particularly because the beneficiaries are largely the haves (employed homeowners without children), while those who pay are largely the have-less (young families, people who live in rental property).
Finally, these (in my not so humble opinion) grossly irresponsible policies will be extremely hard to undo, even if we elect a responsible government on the 13th. The real estate prices have been artificially inflated by tax cuts for too long and the cheap credit has been in place for too long; if the credit market is reregulated and taxation policy restored to the status quo ante overnight, thousands (if not tens of thousands) of the very same have-less who paid for this monumental redistribution of wealth will suddenly be facing the risk of foreclosure because the theoretical value of their home drop below the value of their mortgage.
As an aside, it is also noteworthy that the boom, economy produced at least in part by artificially inflated real estate prices, has reduced unemployment to such a degree that even respectable economists have recommended increasing the labour force. Our government being liberalists, this was of course done (or rather attempted) by means of the stick rather than the carrot. It will also be - ah - interesting to watch the unemployment rate once the unsustainable borrowing collapses and reveals how much (if any) of the boom was based on more healthy economic mechanisms.
Note III: The word 'økologisk,' which I have translated here to 'ecological,' has a dual meaning in Danish. On the one hand, it corresponds to English word 'ecological.' On the other hand, it can denote a specific manner of (particularly agricultural) production, in which every care is taken to minimize environmental footprint. Used in the latter sense it is comparable to the term 'FSC-certified' that is applied to wood certified as sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Note IV: Nutrients from excessive fertilization running off the fields and into our groundwater/rivers/lakes/fjords is a fairly major problem in Denmark. Aside from polluting the groundwater, excess nutrients do Bad Things to fjords and lakes.
Note V: The "tax stop" was the rhetorical gimmick used by the Liberal party to great effect in their campaigns in '01 and '04. It freezes all taxes at their 2001 rate, or the 2001 amount in the case of taxes like liquor taxes and real estate taxes. The latter, of course, is a camouflaged tax cut. Which the Liberal party will of course deny vociferously when challenged.
Note VI: One of the most controversial rules regarding immigration is the 24-year-rule. Prior to 2001, being married to a Danish citizen meant that one was permitted to live and work in Denmark. The Fogh Rasmussen government imposed a number of restrictions on this practice, including the rule that both husband and wife must be over 24 years of age (the 24-year-rule) and the rule that the couple must have greater total connection to Denmark than to the country in which one of them is a citizen.
(This does not, of course, apply to Union citizens, since the Inner Market guarantees mobility within the Union - this is sometimes exploited by filing for residency permit in Sweden, where it is easier to obtain than in Denmark, and then employing the Inner Market to de facto immigrate to Denmark.)
The latter requirement is actually harder to fulfill - particularly since it is not exactly clear what constitutes 'greater total connection' - but it is the 24-year-rule that has become the rallying point for both the people who defend the harsh immigration policies and the people opposed to them. Probably because it's easier to understand.
Note VII: The issue of foreign medical students on Danish universities is a touchy one. University education is free in Denmark, but it is expensive to train medical students, so there is a fairly inflexible ceiling on the maximum admissions into medical schools.
Furthermore, the rules of the Inner Market stipulate that citizens of other Union countries must be offered education on the same terms as Danish students - i.o.w. we cannot charge tuition fees for foreign students when we do not charge them for Danes as well.
This means that citizens of neighbouring countries who wish to study medicine but could not be admitted to their national medical schools can take their education in Denmark instead. Due to language barriers, this is mostly relevant for Swedish and Norwegian students, and the controversy arises because Sweden and Norway educate fewer Danish medical students than Denmark educate Swedish and Norwegian medical students.
I.o.w., Sweden and Norway are imposing a net drain on the Danish educational establishment, which is not helped by the fact that Denmark does not have enough qualified medical professionals as it is. This pisses some of our politicians off. In the case of Sweden, they almost certainly have a point: The Swedish medical schools have a ridiculously low number of admissions compared to the size of the Swedish population. DF's proposed solution, however, is one of the most ham-fisted attempts to solve the problem that I have ever seen.
Note VIII:The current government gutted environmental protection in its first four years in power, and are now scrambling to regain the credibility they lost when they championed the snake-oil salesman Bjørn Lomborg. Minister of the environment Connie Hedegaard seems to be a genuinely committed environmentalist (what she's doing with the Conservatives mystifies me), but she does not have the whole-hearted support of the party leadership. In point of fact, I and many (perhaps most) others left of centre have the distinct impression that Hedegaard was brought in as a figure-head when global warming started to blow up in the government's face.
- Jake
