PM: Welfare’s future demands more from us

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphasized the need for more effort to maintain a strong welfare society in the future. Speaking at the Municipal Politics Summit in Aalborg, she mentioned increased efforts in employee recruitment and retention, including pay raises, and an ongoing focus on education. The prime minister acknowledged concerns from municipalities struggling to meet citizen expectations in services like elderly care due to staffing and financial shortages. Frederiksen said she is committed to fighting for a robust welfare society and has initiated measures to reduce administrative burdens, such as cutting 60,000 conversations in the sick pay system and easing documentation demands in schools. Ongoing negotiations are expected to yield new elderly policies granting more decision-making autonomy to individuals. She also addressed the paradox of the labor shortage in welfare amidst a European discourse on working less, affirming the necessity of work for maintaining welfare, addressing climate change, and national defense.