Good morning, Who do you call in case of war? Well, as of this week, it's no longer the US. Denmark, and other Nordic and Baltic countries, have realised that. With Trump insisting Russia's war against Ukraine is Europe's problem, Denmark did the maths: if the war in Ukraine halts now, Russia could be ready to attack NATO in five years – unless the EU rapidly rearms. In response, Denmark is bypassing EU procurement laws to speed up its military build-up. Speaking of Denmark, the EU has ruled against its forced migrant integration policy, Estonian women need 33 extra days to catch up with men's 2024 earnings, and Finland is cracking down on greenwashing in tourism.  Editor's noteLiene Lusite  Rush to arms"Buy, buy, buy." With these words directed at the chief of defence, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen summed up the essence of the government's defence plans on Wednesday. While rearmament has been on the political agenda since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a newly updated threat assessment by the Danish military intelligence (Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste) has pushed the Danish government to accelerate the process drastically. So, what did the report conclude that led to this decision? It states that if the war against Ukraine ends or comes to a standstill, Russia could be ready to enter a full-scale war against NATO within five years – unless NATO countries rearm simultaneously. They also emphasise that any perception of weakened cohesion in the alliance, particularly doubts over the US' willingness to support its European allies, could factor Russia's readiness to make such a move. Against this gloomy backdrop, the Danish government has announced a €6.7 billion fund to rearm the Danish military faster by legally bypassing the EU's procurement rules, meaning that Denmark's chief of defence will be able to directly select suppliers instead of having to wait for them to submit offers. This fund comes on top of the ongoing €19 billion military investment running until 2030, now supplemented by an additional €1.3 billion. These investments will take Denmark from spending an estimated 2.35% of GDP on its military in 2024 to 3% by next year already, bringing it closer to Poland, NATO's top spender, which plans to spend 4.7% this year, followed by Estonia and the US, both at around 3.4%. Germany and most other European countries who're missing their military spending targets – take note.  | Daniela Lange Andersen
According to the Danish threat assessment, support from China, Iran, and North Korea has allowed Russia to free up resources and redirect them towards military reform to match the West in a potential war. While the report underlines that Russia has not decided to start such a war, the Danish government's actions should also be seen in light of a changing world order – one in which Europe must be able to defend itself rather than rely on the US. |
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Forced integration of migrants is against EU lawFor years, the Danish government has forced integration of non-Western migrants into Danish society through the so-called 'ghetto law'. The law is a social engineering project to dismantle immigrant enclaves in cities across Denmark, which are considered "potential breeding grounds for antidemocratic values, delinquency, and violence," according to the government. It categorises neighbourhoods based on four factors: unemployment, crime, education, income, and the proportion of non-Western immigrants living there. Where a majority of the population has an immigrant background, the municipality can reduce the share of social housing to 40%. Preschool-age children living in these neighbourhoods must spend 25 hours per week learning the Danish language, values, and traditions. Meanwhile, their European counterparts are under no such obligation. The verdict on this 'ghetto law' is in – it's illegal. The advocate general for the European Court of Justice said in a legal opinion last week that the Danish law directly discriminates against individuals based on their nationality and, therefore, breaches EU law. Immigrant populations forced to move have no control over the location or price of their new homes. The policy rips apart the social support systems, networks, and economies formed in these ethnically diverse communities. The Migrant Policy Index from 2020 highlighted non-EU citizens in Denmark as being in one of the least stable positions in the EU, which "encourages the Danish public to see immigrants as foreigners and not as the equals of native citizens."  | Laoise Murray
The official court decision is due to be released in the coming months, but this statement signals that such blatant ethnic discrimination will not be accepted under EU law. With anti-immigrant sentiment rising across Europe, many countries are looking to restrict migrants' rights, but it seems they won't be able to take their cue from Denmark in this case. |
33 days to close the gapMonday was Equal Pay Day in Estonia – the point when women, on average, have earned what men made at the end of last year. With a gender pay gap of 13.1%, women in Estonia have to work 33 extra days to catch up. Despite the gap having shrunk by 47% in the past decade, it still remains Europe's highest. In an attempt to further close the gap, Estonia plans to increase wage transparency next year by enforcing the EU Pay Transparency Directive. Adopted in 2023, this law requires employers to disclose salaries before interviews, giving employees stronger negotiating power. How exactly Estonia will do it remains to be seen – a first draft of this new legislation is expected by the summer.   | Saara Saskia Sutt
It seems to be a trend in the region, as in 2022, the gap in most Northern European countries was above the European average of 13.1%. Why, then, is it the highest in Estonia? There are no clear explanations, but some of it could be explained with gender stereotypes (which are still engrained in Estonian society) that shape education and career paths. There are also more women in education and care professions, where salaries are lower. The division of unpaid work is also unequal. A recent analysis shows that women in Estonia do way more unpaid work – up to €2.9 billion worth – than men annually. They spend more hours on house chores and often hit the so-called 'glass ceiling', which limits their presence in higher (also better paid) positions – accounting for a quarter of Estonia's gender pay gap. This gap limits financial independence, makes it harder for women to leave abusive relationships, and leads to a pension gap. |
 Norway ・ Salmon farms Putting a halt to fishy fugitivesIf you enjoy the occasional salmon, there's a good chance it grew up on a Norwegian salmon farm. All sorts of criticism rain down on the expanding and currently very unsustainable salmon aquaculture industry, which is slowly beginning to change. Amalie Holmgaard Mersh Early this month, around 27,000 farmed salmon broke free from their open-net sea pen in Troms, northern Norway, which was damaged after a storm. They belonged to the world''s largest salmon producer, the Norwegian company MOWI, and were worth 14 million Norwegian kroner (€1.2 million). Only 24 salmon have since been re-captured. Salmon is landing on more of the world''s dinner plates, but the major environmental risks related to the farming practices – such as escaping fish – are increasingly criticised as the aquaculture industry expands in Europe. Wise and lucrativeSalmon are so important in Northern Europe that they're a part of ancient mythology. In Norse mythology, the trickster Loki is responsible for the death of the god Balder, and turns himself into a salmon in a failed attempt to escape the wrath of Thor. In Celtic mythology, salmon are a symbol of wisdom, and by eating them, you can gain their knowledge. Today, salmon is big business, especially for Norway, the world's leading producer of farmed salmon. They exported seafood worth 175.4 billion Norwegian kroner (€15.1 billion) in 2024, of which salmon accounted for 122.9 billion Norwegian kroner (€10.6 billion). Christian Chramer, managing director of the Norwegian Seafood Council, said seafood exports are one of Norway''s most sought-after products globally, coming in second after oil and gas. Flighty fishEvery year, many thousands of salmon escape from their sea pens in Norway and other places, such as in Iceland in 2023. After a peak in Norway in 2019, when 286,681 escapes were reported by companies, numbers dropped significantly to an estimated total of 95,586 in 2024, according to the directorate of fisheries. The prison breaks cause serious environmental concerns. Both the sea pens and the escapees expose wild salmon to sea lice and infections. Bred for captivity, the fugitives are slower and have different genetics than wild salmon, leaving their mixed fry with a poorer chance of survival in the sea. With the aquaculture industry expanding, the already endangered Atlantic Salmon is increasingly threatened. Last year, Norway debated the historically bad year for wild stocks, which have been slashed from more than a million to about 500,000, between the 1980s and today. On top of this, there's animal welfare: 15% of farmed fish are ill multiple times during their two-year life span, and 17% die before they are slaughtered. The fish, living in tight quarters, get sea lice, large sores, and many diseases, as we've previously reported. Both the diseases and painful treatments against sea lice cause significant stress for the salmon – so much that a fish researcher said they live in "physiological chaos." Can this get better?Yes. Over the years, the criticism has been mounting, and while the salmon industry has been accused of miscrediting critics on many occasions, the problems are becoming impossible to ignore. Last year, Canada banned open-net salmon farming in British Columbia from 30 June 2029 onwards – something the Norwegian environment minister has ruled out recently. A solution is closed-pen salmon farms, where farmers control the currents, oxygen content, temperature, and waste. This avoids lice infestations, while opening an opportunity to turn waste into biogas to power the facility. They can be both in-water or in-land, with the latter in particular currently gaining traction: in Norway, 29 companies plan to move their activities in-land. However, while they address a few welfare issues and the environmental problems in the ocean, they bring new challenges, such as higher production costs, a need for technology to ensure recirculated water is free from disease, and taking up large land areas. With farming, the negative effects of fishing methods used for wild fish, such as trawling on the ocean floor, are avoided. Nevertheless, it leaves no easy answer for the consumer – only a suggestion from Danish fishing expert Troels Jacob Hegland, to put different fish on your plate to lessen the burden on more widely consumed fish.
Literal green washingUp in the far north of Finland, Lapland's tourism industry is under new pressure, as the EU's 'Green claims' or greenwashing directive753958) forces businesses to prove their sustainability claims – or abandon them altogether. Set to be implemented in Finnish law by 2026, the directive bans vague terms like "carbon-neutral" and "eco-friendly" unless backed by scientific evidence. As a result, tourism operators must revise their marketing, removing misleading claims and ensuring transparency – an expensive shift for Finnish businesses that have built their brands on environmental messaging. Meanwhile, Lapland remains a major draw for international visitors, with Finland's tourism sector generating €3.7 billion in 2024, particularly from high-spending winter tourists who come to see the white nights, snowy forests, or Santa Claus and reindeer.  | Mikael Kataja
Greenwashing tourism is often contradictory: businesses promote Lapland's untouched wilderness while engaging in practices that could erode its very appeal. Striking a balance between sustainability and economic growth will be the key, as unchecked marketing tactics risk harming the very nature-based experiences that make the region attractive to visitors. Without real action, the winter wonderland could turn literally green. |
Hot and coldWhat do you do for fun? Reading, knitting, or sports? Well, we have something new for you to try: sauna enthusiasts from around the world are currently prepping for the 14th edition of the European Sauna Marathon, taking place in the snowy southern Estonian city Otepää. This is how it works: teams of four must visit as many saunas as they can in the fastest time possible, spending at least three minutes in each sauna. | | Saara Saskia Sutt
To spice things up, teams can also visit hot tubs or dip into icy water for a time bonus. They also dress up in silly costumes in hopes of winning the best-dressed prize, so you might come across Teletubbies, vikings, or even nuns enjoying a nice hot sauna or jumping into freezing ice holes. |
Every day, our correspondents recommend one song to you. Today, Liene Lūsīte chose this one. We hope you enjoy!  Bigger Than This Markus Riva I'm recommending this song as a tribute to the most loyal artist in the history of Latvia's Eurovision selection process. Markus Riva tried to represent Latvia for the tenth time earlier this month, but despite his unwavering dedication, he was once again denied the chance. This time, Latvian voters chose another artist, Tautumeitas, to fly their flag in Basel, Switzerland in May. Riva's persistence has made him a familiar face in Eurovision circles, and although "Bigger Than This" didn't unlock the door this time, it's clear that his passion for the stage hasn't waned.
Listen on YoutubeListen on Spotify 〉Recommend a song for our next edition
That's all from Northern Europe this week! I hope you enjoyed this edition of the newsletter. We'd love to know what you thought, so if you have any comments please get in touch by replying to this email. Whatever you've planned for it – a sauna marathon or seafood feast – have a lovely weekend! Liene Lusite Leading Editor for Northern Europe PS: Can you tell us what you think of today's edition of the newsletter? Every day, as a small reward for your feedback, we will show you a cute animal picture. This newsletter was edited by Dylan Goodman, the visuals were created by Philippe Kramer, and the executive producer was Julius E. O. Fintelmann. |
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