Reluctant contributor

Denmark earned EU praise for its green-focused recovery plan, but the national reaction is lukewarm

Out of the €1.5 billion contained in Denmark’s Recovery and Resilience plan—an EU-funded effort to back post-coronavirus recovery—the country will devote 60 per cent to support the green transition and 25 per cent to the digital transition. That is well above the EU’s minimum requirement of 37 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. The European Commission commended Denmark for its effort, especially the plan’s R&D focus and support for public-private partnerships. 

Yet the endorsement has not made headlines in the Danish media, nor has the government made any major announcements around this. The reasons for this lukewarm reception are two-fold.