According to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation's news website, if the decision were up to the government, Danes affected by rising prices should receive financial assistance. Accordingly, the government's plan for the new budget law, which will be presented tomorrow, Wednesday, at a press conference on the 2023 general budget, includes a proposal to grant two billion kroner as aid against current inflation. Finance Minister Nicolai Wammen confirmed that the government is developing a framework for providing additional aid against inflation, adding that the government will meet with parties in the Danish parliament to discuss the best way to distribute the funds among Danes who have been severely affected by inflation at the moment. However, Wammen also emphasizes that it will not be large financial gifts: "It will be a strict fiscal law so that we do not give in to the inflation that has hit Denmark and the rest of Europe," according to Wammen.
According to the plan, the amount will be financed by cutting two billion kroner from public capital investments. It is not yet clear exactly who will receive the assistance. According to the finance minister, the assistance targets the challenges faced by citizens due to rising energy and food prices, etc.
The proposal to provide inflation assistance was criticized by the Conservative Party (a right-wing party in the Blue Bloc and currently one of the opposition parties), with the party's economic spokesperson, Rasmus Jarlov, commenting that moderation and some tax cuts were needed. He added: "We fundamentally believe that it is immoral to hand out checks to select groups in the period leading up to the general election. This is not what the Danish economy needs.".
On the other hand, from the perspective of one of the parties of the Red Bloc (which supports the current government), the Unity List party, Enhedslisten, believes that given the fact that prices are rising as much as they are now, “we will immediately need more than double what the government is proposing, so at first glance it seems like a meager financial proposal, but now we just have to see the details,” according to Victoria Velasquez, the party’s economic affairs officer.
The proposal also includes allocating funds to support the healthcare sector, including psychiatry and the elderly, according to the finance minister.
He will demand dividends from TV2
For the first time, the government will establish a new profit distribution policy for TV2. This means that, starting in 2024, the television station will be required to pay annual profits to the state. Last year, TV2 generated profits of 463 million Danish kroner.
