Denmark takes over EU presidency in stormy times. Here's what to expect

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Denmark takes over EU presidency in stormy times. Here's what to expect  Security tops the agenda as Denmark assumes the six-month rotating presidency of the EU Council.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/07/01/denmark-takes-over-eu-presidency-in-stormy-times-heres-what-to-expect  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:01Denmark takes over the reigns of the Council of the European Union on Tuesday.

00:06Faced with the war in Ukraine, American disengagement in Europe, and Washington's threats to seize Greenland,

00:12the Scandinavian Kingdom has made two profound political U-turns in the space of a few years.

00:18Firstly, on defense, Copenhagen has made defense a priority of its presidency

00:24and intends to push for the development of defense capabilities.

00:29Denmark should therefore be in favor of increased spending,

00:33a revolutionary move given that Denmark has refused to commit to defense cooperation since 1993.

00:39So the sense of urgency which Denmark can convey given its individual experience

00:45of having this 180-degree change from being very critical when it comes to EU

00:51in the area of security defense and now being a front-runner gives them an added push when it comes to this issue.

00:58The reverse is also true when it comes to the European budget.

01:02Denmark has long been part of the group of member states nicknamed the frugal ones.

01:07In other words, the supporters of budgetary orthodoxy.

01:10The Danish government no longer intends to oppose an increase in the union's next financial framework.

01:17The categories we've had in the past still exist, so the frugals versus the rest.

01:22But the groupings are changing.

01:25Who are part of the frugals is changing and the Danish definitely are now in a group

01:29which is not asking how can we spend as less as possible,

01:33but how can we best spend at the European level,

01:36which might then include also in spending more.

01:39So it's more and smarter.

01:41The Danish presidency is also expected to focus on boosting competitiveness

01:46and pursuing the climate transition.

01:48However, the program remains first and foremost a roadmap

01:52as the ability of the presidency of the council to have a profound influence also has its limits.

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