Historic Day: Interpretation in Parliament

Tuesday marked a historic day in the Danish Parliament with MP Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam, of the Siumut party, speaking Greenlandic during question time. The Folketing Presidium, which includes the five largest parties, approved the trial of simultaneous interpretation. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen supported this move, noting Denmark’s capability with interpretation in international meetings. Denmark Democrats’ Karina Adsbøl opposed, arguing members should speak Danish when possible. Beforehand, Greenlandic and Faroese MPs received extra time to translate speeches and a monthly supplement for translation costs. However, Høegh-Dam sought further language inclusion, leading to a larger debate. The estimated annual cost for a parliamentary interpretation service is a minimum of 200 million kroner, with an additional 40 million in setup expenses.