Voters in Denmark will head to the polls next week to decide the future of the Nordic country’s iconic welfare system as rising costs, an aging population, and out-of-control spending are placing major strains on the Danish economy.
“Aging populations have led to politicians across the region chipping away at the generous cradle-to-grave welfare state for years. In Denmark, next week’s election could prove a turning point as frustrated voters say: No more,” reports Reuters.
“We pay very high taxes in Denmark, and that’s alright. But in return, I think we can demand a certain service,” said pensioner Sonja Blytsoe.
“The erosion of the welfare state has now become a defining issue in the June 5 general election in a country where people hand over an average 36% of their personal income to the state each month,” adds the article.
A similar political fallout occurred in Finland earlier this year, when the entire government resigned after failing to reach a deal on meaningful “welfare reform.”
“Finland’s entire government resigned Friday after the governing coalition failed to agree on the welfare state reform, just one month before elections were due to be held,” reports Fox News. “Juha Sipila has been the country’s prime minister since 2015 after forming a three-party governing coalition with two other right-leaning parties.”
“I take the responsibility for the failure. It has been a huge disappointment to me,” said the Prime Minister.
Finland’s government aimed to cut $3.4 billion over the next decade to cope with a series of issue placing a major strain on the nation’s generous welfare-state.
Read the full report at Reuters.
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