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Greenland election: Melting ice and mining project on the agenda

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Greenland heads to the polls on Tuesday in snap elections which could have major consequences for international interests in the Arctic. The vast territory, which belongs to Denmark but is autonomous, lies between North America and Europe and has a population of just 56,000.

Greenland’s economy relies on fishing and Danish subsidies, but melting ice and a planned mine could change the course of the vote – and the territory’s future.

Here’s what you need to know.

What’s at stake
Disagreement over a controversial mining project in the south of Greenland has split the government and paved the way for this week’s election.

The company that owns the site at Kvanefjeld says the mine has “the potential to become the most significant western world producer of rare earths”, a group of 17 elements used to manufacture electronics and weapons.

The Siumut (Forward) Party supports the development, arguing that it would provide hundreds of jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually over several decades, which could lead to greater independence from Denmark.

But the opposition Inuit Ataqatigiit (Community of the People) party has rejected the proposal, amid concerns about the potential for radioactive pollution and toxic waste.

The future of the Kvanefjeld mine is significant for a number of countries – the site is owned by an Australian company, Greenland Minerals, which is in turn backed by a Chinese company.

Why is Greenland important?
Greenland has hit the headlines several times in recent years, with then-President Donald Trump suggesting in 2019 that the US could buy the territory.

Denmark quickly dismissed the idea as “absurd”, but international interest in the territory’s future has continued.

China already has mining deals with Greenland, while the US – which has a key Cold War-era air base at Thule – has offered millions in aid.

Denmark has itself acknowledged the territory’s importance: in 2019 it placed Greenland at the top of its national security agenda for the first time.

And in March this year, one think tank concluded that the UK, the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand – known collectively as the Five Eyes – should focus on Greenland to reduce their dependency on China for key mineral supplies.

Mining isn’t Greenland’s only issue, however.

The territory is on the front line of global warming, with scientists reporting record ice loss last year. This in turn has significant implications for low-lying coastal areas around the world.

But it is the retreating ice that has both increased mining opportunities and raised the possibility of new shipping lanes through the Arctic, which could reduce global shipping times.

This changing reality has also increased focus on long-running territorial disputes, with Denmark, Russia and Canada all seeking sovereignty over a vast underwater mountain range near the North Pole known as Lomonosov Ridge.

Russia, meanwhile, has been increasing its economic and military activities in the Arctic, where it has a long coastline, prompting concern from western governments.

Sweden: Crown Princess Victoria: Godmother of Europe

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Crown Princess Victoria is often referred to as the ‘Godmother of Europe.’ She received this rather unusual nickname because she has 18 (yes, eighteen) godchildren.

Crown Princess Victoria is one of Europe’s most popular royals. Every single year she is voted the most popular royal in her own country of Sweden. Many royals seem to like the Crown Princess, as well, as they have often asked her to be godmother to their children. Crown Princess Victoria almost has a godchild in every European country with a monarchy. In addition, she is the godmother to three future Kings and Queens.

Crown Princess Victoria has a very close relationship with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. Victoria is the godmother of the Danish Couple’s firstborn, Prince Christian. Crown Princess Mary is godmother to Victoria’s and Daniel’s firstborn, Princess Estelle, while Frederik is godfather to Prince Oscar.

Princess Catharina-Amalia, daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, is also lucky to have Crown Princess Victoria as her godmother. In return, King Willem-Alexander is also one of Princess Estelle’s godfathers. Victoria is also listed as one of Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway’s godmothers. Crown Prince Haakon is conversely godfather to Princess Estelle, while Crown Princess Mette-Marit has Prince Oscar as a godchild.

Other royal godchildren of Crown Princess Victoria, who will not become King or Queen one day, are Princess Eléonore of Belgium, daughter of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark, son of Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece. In 2014, Princess Katharina of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was added to the long list. She is the daughter of the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the heirs of the Ducal Family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Most of their parents chose Victoria as a godmother to their son or daughter because she is the Crown Princess and future Queen of Sweden, and royals often want other royals to become their children’s godparents. Of course, the bond between Her Royal Highness and the parents of her godchildren is often quite close.


Crown Princess Victoria is godmother of her niece, Princess Leonore (Photo: Anna-Lena Ahlström, Kungahuset.se)

The Crown Princess is also the godmother of various family members. She became Princess Leonore’s godmother in 2014 when her younger sister, Princess Madeleine and brother-in-law, Chris O’Neill, became parents for the first time. Her most recent godchild is Prince Alexander, son of her brother Prince Carl Philip and sister-in-law Princess Sofia. Thus, Victoria is both their aunt and godmother. In return, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine are respectively godparents to Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar. The children of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden created the tradition that the aunts and uncles of the children will also become the godparents according to the birth order.

On her mother’s side, Crown Princess Victoria is godmother to many Sommerlath children. Her first godchild was Vivien Sommerlath, now 24-years-old. She is the daughter of Victoria’s maternal uncle, Jörg Sommerlath. Vivien is also a godchild of Queen Silvia. Giulia Sommerlath, daughter of Victoria’s maternal uncle Thomas Sommerlath is also on the list. Crown Princess Victoria’s cousin, Patrick Sommerlath and his wife Camilla Lundén also asked Victoria to be their son Leopold’s godmother.

On her father’s side, Crown Princess Victoria is the godmother of Ian de Geer, son of Princess Désirées, daughter/ Victoria’s cousin, Tina and Hans de Geer. Also, Madeleine von Dincklage, the daughter of Victoria’s cousin, Sybilla von Dincklage, is one of Victoria’s godchildren. Then there is also Gustaf Magnusson (son of Victoria’s aunt Princess Christina), who asked Victoria to be the godmother of his and Vicky Andrén’s daughter, Désirée.


Crown Princess Victoria is the godmother of her nephew, Prince Alexander. Photo: Mattias Edwall, The Royal Court, Sweden

Furthermore, Crown Princess Victoria is godmother to several children of her good friends. She is a godparent of friends Caroline and Peder Dinkelspiel’s son, Willem; friends Andrea Brodin and Niclas Engsäll’s daughter, Diana; friends Caroline and Jesper Nilsson’s daughter, Chloé; and friends Karl-Johan and Leonie Persson’s son, Ian.

At the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, many of these godchildren were part of the bridal party. Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Christian, Vivian, Leopold and Giulia Sommerlath, Ian de Geer and Madeleine von Dincklage were pageboys, flower girls and bridesmaids at the wedding. The other godchildren were either too young to participate or not born yet.

After seeing this long list of children, it is no surprise that the Crown Princess of Sweden is also called Europe’s godmother. Victoria has many gifts to buy each year for her many goddaughters and godsons.

Featured image: Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

Sweden: Sweden’s new royal Prince Julian Herbert Folke – What’s in a name?

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Princess Sofia of Sweden gave birth to her third child on Friday at 11.19 am at Danderyd Hospital. King Carl XVI Gustaf revealed the name of his two-day-old grandson this morning in a cabinet meeting with the Prime Minister.

The new royal’s names are Julian Herbert Folke, and he is the Duke of Halland. So, where did his names come from?

The name Julian was selected by Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia for the simple reason that they liked it. It does not have any family links. In 2020, the name Julian ranked 74th in Swedish names, so it is not an overly popular name in the Scandinavian country either.

The middle name Herbert honours Princess Sofia’s late grandfather, who went by Herbert. Information Manager at the Royal Court, Margareta Thorgen, told Svenskdam: “The name Herbert in Prince Julian’s name is after Princess Sofia’s grandfather, who was named Herbert in his middle name.”

The name Folke is after the King and Count Folke Bernadotte. Folke is one of the King’s middle names, and he was named after the Count, who was a World War II hero that saved many Jews and non-Jews from the Nazis. Learn more about Folke Bernadotte’s heroism here.

With the little royal’s middle names, Carl Philip and Sofia have paid tribute to beloved family members while also giving him an ‘unroyal’ first name – fitting as he does not have the Royal Highness style and will not have the pressure of representing the Royal Family as he becomes an adult.

Photo by HRH Prince Carl Philip/Kungahuset

Sweden: Swedish royals attend Prince Julian’s Te Deum at the Royal Chapel in Stockholm Palace

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Members of the Swedish Royal Family attended a Te Deum* at the Royal Chapel in Stockholm Palace on Sunday at noon to mark the birth of Prince Julian.

Due to the pandemic, those in attendance were limited to King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Prince Carl Philip, proud big brother Prince Alexander, Princess Sofia’s sister, Lina, and Sofia’s parents, Erik and Marie Hellqvist. Sofia’s parents were able to travel from Älvdalen to meet their new grandson and attend the ceremony.

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden just recently recovered from COVID-19 and were unable to attend the service. They had planned to attend before contracting the virus; the couple are now healthy but followed doctor recommendations to not participate on Sunday, according to Svenskdam.

The media was not allowed to attend the religious service due to the pandemic, and images were only released after the Te Deum had concluded.

Lead pastor Johan Dalman lead the service that began at noon; a small lunch followed, but the Royal Court has not released any information regarding the gathering.

The christening for Prince Julian will take place in a few months time. How the pandemic will impact the ceremony is not yet known.

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The “Te Deum” (/tiː ˈdiːəm/, Latin: [te ˈde.um]; from its incipit, Te Deum laudamus, Latin for ‘Thee, O God, we praise’) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Church with other parts of the Milanese Rite in the 6th to 8th centuries. It is sometimes known as the “Ambrosian Hymn”, although authorship by Saint Ambrose is unlikely. The term “Te Deum” can also refer to a short religious service (of blessing or thanks) based upon the hymn.

Authorship of the hymn is traditionally ascribed to Saint Ambrose (died 397) or Saint Augustine (died 430). In 19th-century scholarship, Saint Hilary of Poitiers (died 367) and Saint Nicetas of Remesiana (died 414) were proposed as possible authors. In the 20th century, the association with Nicetas has been deprecated, so that the hymn, while almost certainly dating to the 4th century, is considered as being of uncertain authorship. Authorship of Nicetas of Remesiana was suggested by the association of the name “Nicetas” with the hymn in manuscripts from the 10th century onward, and was particularly defended in the 1890s by Germain Morin. Hymnologists of the 20th century, especially Ernst Kähler (1958), have shown the association with “Nicetas” to be spurious. It has structural similarities with a eucharistic prayer and it has been proposed that it was originally composed as part of one.

The hymn was part of the Old Hymnal since it was introduced to the Benedictine order in the 6th century, and it was preserved in the Frankish Hymnal of the 8th century. It was, however, removed from the New Hymnal which became prevalent in the 10th century. It was restored in the 12th century in hymnals that attempted to restore the praiseful intent of the rule of St. Benedict.

In the traditional office, the “Te Deum” is sung at the end of Matins on all days when the Gloria is said at Mass; those days are all Sundays outside Advent, Septuagesima, Lent, and Passiontide; on all feasts (except the Triduum) and on all ferias during Eastertide.

Before the 1961 reforms of Pope John XXIII, neither the Gloria nor the Te Deum were said on the feast of the Holy Innocents, unless it fell on Sunday, as they were martyred before the death of Christ and therefore could not immediately attain the beatific vision.

In the Liturgy of the Hours of Pope Paul VI, the “Te Deum” is sung at the end of the Office of Readings on all Sundays except those of Lent, on all solemnities, on the octaves of Easter and Christmas, and on all feasts. A plenary indulgence is granted, under the usual conditions, to those who recite it in public on New Year’s Eve.

It is also used together with the standard canticles in Morning Prayer as prescribed in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, as an option in Morning Prayer or Matins for Lutherans, and is retained by many churches of the Reformed tradition.

The hymn is in regular use in the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church and Methodist Church (mostly before the Homily) in the Office of Readings found in the Liturgy of the Hours, and in thanksgiving to God for a special blessing such as the election of a pope, the consecration of a bishop, the canonization of a saint, a religious profession, the publication of a treaty of peace, a royal coronation, etc. It is sung either after Mass or the Divine Office or as a separate religious ceremony. The hymn also remains in use in the Anglican Communion and some Lutheran Churches in similar settings.

Photos: Henrik Garlöv /The Royal Court of Sweden

Finland: Restaurants remain closed to customers until 18 April almost throughout Finland due to serious epidemic situation

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Restaurants and other food and beverage service businesses must remain closed to customers until 18 April 2021 in regions where it is necessary to stop the escalation of the COVID-19 epidemic.

The now agreed closure of restaurants extends the closure that started on 9 March, ensuring a seamless continuation of the closure in regions where it is necessary due to the epidemic situation. Unlike during the closure agreed earlier, restaurants may open for business in Åland and South Ostrobothnia starting on 29 March. The same applies to Lapland with the exception of the municipality of Kittilä. In North Savo and in North Karelia, restaurants must be closed to customers starting on 29 March. However, restaurants can still sell food for takeaway or delivery. During the closure, restaurants and cafés are allowed to sell portions directly to the customer for takeaway or deliver them either themselves or using other service providers.

Closure of restaurants essential due to the epidemiological situation
Restaurants must be closed to customers in the following regions and the following municipality:
1) Uusimaa
2) Southwest Finland
3) Satakunta
4) Kanta-Häme
5) Pirkanmaa
6) Päijät-Häme
7) Kymenlaakso
8) South Karelia
9) South Savo
10) North Savo
11) North Karelia
12) Central Finland
13) Ostrobothnia
14) North Ostrobothnia
15) Kittilä

The following regions do not fall under the closure requirement: Åland, South Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia and Kainuu. In the region of Lapland, restaurants may be open with the exception of the municipality of Kittilä.

Particular consideration to closure requirements in Lapland With the exception of Lapland, restaurant closures are imposed on a region-wide basis. In its reply to the Government, Parliament concluded that a sparsely populated region with long distances requires a more thorough consideration. Based on the opinion of Parliament and health authorities’ statement, restaurants must be closed in Kittilä. In all other municipalities in Lapland, restaurants may open for business beginning on 29 March.

Grounds for closure examined weekly
The Government will amend the decree and impose and lift closure restrictions in line with the development of the epidemiological situation in any given region. In regions where food and beverage service business are allowed to stay open to customers, establishments must observe provisions laid down in the Communicable Diseases Act and issued by virtue of the same Act. In such regions, restaurants must close at 23.00 and stop the serving of alcoholic beverages at 22.00.

Closure affects all food and beverage service businesses, with the exception of staff restaurants
The food and beverage service businesses to be closed down include cafés, restaurants, bars and nightclubs that are open to the public. The closure applies to outdoor terraces, too. However, the sale of takeaway meals is allowed during the closure.

The only restaurants exempt from the closure are restaurants not open to the public. Therefore, the closure does not affect canteens in residential homes for older people or staff restaurants that are not open to other customers, for example. The business models and operating principles of businesses providing food and beverage services to staff and students may vary considerably. If a restaurant is open to the public, it must be closed.

Support scheme for restaurants under preparation
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is preparing a support scheme for the reasonable compensation of businesses affected by the current closure measures. The proposal for the support scheme is currently under consideration by Parliament and will be implemented as part of business cost support. The extension to the closure of restaurants will be taken into account in the further preparation of the support scheme. Companies would apply for the compensation at the State Treasury. Applications for the compensation could be accepted from the beginning of May.

Deliberations on the act and decree
On 28 March 2021, Parliament approved and the President of the Republic confirmed an act, which will temporarily close restaurants and other food and beverage service businesses to customers. The act and the decree concerning the matter will enter into force at midnight between Sunday 28 March and Monday 29 March. On the same day, the Government issued a decree on the regions to be affected by the closure. In principle, food and beverage service business will remain closed to customers in the regions where the epidemic is in the acceleration or community transmission phase. The assessment of necessity and decisions are based on the expert evaluation of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

 

Norway: Princess Märtha Louise marks World Down Syndrome Day with powerful message

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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Princess Märtha Louise of Norway has marked World Down Syndrome Day with a message underlining how important every member of society is. In a heartfelt greeting, the Princess spoke of the vital role the awareness day can make by reminding us to celebrate that all people are unique.

In a video message, published by the Royal Court on March 21, Princess Martha Louise said: “Congratulations on World Day for Down Syndrome. Today we celebrate that each of us is completely unique. We celebrate that all people are equally valuable. We celebrate that we are all both happy and sad about each other. That is what it is to be human.”

Princess Märtha Louise continued: “It has been a special year for all of us. Many have felt even more lonely without the regular activities that mean so much – and with less human contact than usual. Now we all hope that we will soon move towards brighter times. So today, on World Day for Down Syndrome, there is good reason to celebrate anyway. We celebrate that everyone is equally unique. Congratulations everyone!”

Princess Martha Louise has made supporting people with physical and mental health difficulties a mainstay of her royal work. The Princess Märtha Louise Fund was established on 15 September 1972. The fund’s capital is used to support measures in Norway to help children with disabilities and the Princess also visits associations and initiatives that have received support from the fund. Her Majesty Queen Sonja is also involved in the fund’s work and sits on the board together with Princess Martha and a number of other prominent people.

In addition to her fund, the princess has agreed to be a patron for several organizations that work for the rights of those with disabilities. Among other organizations, the princess is the high protector of the Association for Muscle Disease, the National Association of the Hearing Impaired, the Norwegian Association of the Blind, the Norwegian Association of the Deaf as well as the Norwegian Rheumatism Association.

What is World Down Syndrome Day?
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) , 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.

Featured image: Det kongelige hoff

Let us celebrate Nordic Day together!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Nordic Day is celebrated on 23 March in all the Nordic countries and Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland in honour of the fundamental treaty of Nordic cooperation, which was named after Helsinki and was signed on 23 March 1962. It defines the duties and composition of the Nordic Council and Nordic Council of Ministers and, in general, the main areas and methods of Nordic cooperation.

2021 is the 50th jubilee year of the Nordic Council of Ministers and Finland acts as the Councils’ chair. Due to the current situation, this year’s Nordic Day will be celebrated in several virtual events. The day is also marked with flying flags, decoratively illuminated buildings and a visibility campaign on public transport. The City of Helsinki will fly a flag in three locations: City Hall, Finlandia Hall and Railway Square. The Little Parliament annex of the Parliament House will also be decorated with Nordic flags. The Government Palace will be illuminated with the colours of the Nordic flags.

The public transport campaign will be visible on the sides of Helsinki trams and on the digital screens on trams and metro carriages. The campaign will also be visible in the cityscapes of Oulu, Kuopio, Tampere and Turku.

Virtual Nordic Day events
Thomas Blomqvist, the minister in charge of Nordic cooperation, will speak in five different events during the day.

Nordic Culture Point, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and the Nordic cooperation secretariat of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will hold from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. a virtual discussion examining online behaviour and equality issues:  Hur kan de nordiska länderna skapa trygghet på nätet

Norden Secretariat’s event series on Nordic Day
The 50th jubilee year of the Nordic Council of Ministers will be celebrated on Nordic Day on 23 March with five themed discussions. The Copenhagen Norden Secretariat will compile a series of events which will be streamed, one by one, in different Nordic capitals. The discussions will examine the current Nordic issues highlighted during Finland’s chairmanship. These relate to the themes of equality, border barriers, circular economy, freedom of expression and culture.

All five Nordic Day events
Nordic Day events in different languages:
Norden Pohjolan päivä fi
Norden Nordens dag sv
Norden Nordic Day en
#Nordensdag #Norden2021

Highlights of Virtual Nordic Day events
Arcada, Folkhälsan, Högskolan på Åland och Prakticum will organise: Hur klarar det nordiska välfärdssamhället coronakrisen?

Pohjola-Norden will hold a webinar called Pohjoismaat, yhdessä – Norden, tillsammans (Nordic countries, together) from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Links to all Pohjola-Norden events in the Nordic week are available here. Nordic Welfare Centre NVC will organise an online event on the participation of disabled children and young people Participation for Children and Young People with Disabilities in the Nordic Region.The Norders business event, organised by Norders Creative Community    Finland’s presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers 2021

 

Denmark: Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik conduct Denmark’s first-ever digital Council of State

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – On Tuesday, history was written in Denmark when Queen Margrethe conducted the Council of State digitally for the first time. From the Council of State Hall at Christiansborg Palace in downtown Copenhagen, the Queen conducted the meeting Tuesday morning. At her side was Crown Prince Frederik. As in Norway and Sweden, it is also common in Denmark that the heir to the throne is a regular participant in the Council of State.

At Tuesday’s Council of State, more than 250 cases and 52 new laws were processed. The Danish Royal Court shared photos from the historic session on Facebook and Instagram, showing mother and son while talking to the Danish government via a large screen. Crown Prince Frederik brought his iPad with him while Queen Margrethe took her notes by hand.

Many people noticed a particular photo that was shared on Instagram. The picture showed Queen Margrethe’s writing tools which consisted of a writing set in silver and a red book marked “Council of State”. The last thing in the picture is a fairly ordinary, green marker, which, according to the Danish press, is supposed to be the Danish queen’s favourite writing tool. This fairly common pen is only used in work contexts. If the Queen is out on a public visit and will write in a guest book, she always has a gold ballpoint pen with her.

The Council of State is made up of all ministers in the government and is the government’s body where all laws and important government measures are dealt with. The main content of the meetings is to ratify the bills passed by the Parliament, as well as to present the bills to the Queen that the government intends to present in the future. Denmark is a bit late compared to the other Scandinavian monarchies. King Harald of Norway and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden have both carried out digital Council of State meetings through large parts of the pandemic.

Photos: Keld Navntoft, Kongehuset

Faroe Islands: Faroese labor force remains Europe’s most active

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – With more than 84 percent of the nation’s working-age population part of the labor force, the population of the Faroe Islands still has the highest activity rate in Europe. According to a recent labor force survey published by Statistics Faroe Islands, the activity rate in the island nation is measured at 84.3 percent averaged over both sexes, or 86.1 pc. for men and 82.4 pc. for women.

The international measurement of the labor force in percentage of the working-age population counts the section of the population aged between 15 and 74 who are capable of participating in work, Statistics Faroe Islands noted.

“This is the highest activity rate in Europe, and this applies to men, women, young and old alike,” the government agency said in a statement.

The Faroese labor force has increased by just over 2,000 people in the past five years, spread evenly across the two genders, with the labor force also slightly increasing in 2020.

These are some of the key findings of the labour force survey conducted by Statistics Faroe Islands in November 2020. A detailed report with analysed figures can be found in the Statbank, the online statistical resource provided by the agency.

According the survey, the Vágar region has the highest activity rate for men, at 89 percent, and Sandoy the lowest, at 75 pc. For women, the Suðurstreymur and Norðstreymur regions have the highest activity rate, at 84 pc., and Sandoy the lowest, at 78 pc.

“In comparison, the average activity rate in Denmark and the United Kingdom is approximately 70 percent,” Statics Faroes said.

“As previous labor force surveys have also shown, the Faroe Islands are again confirmed to have the biggest labor force in Europe relative to the population. Only Iceland comes close in this respect.”

Included in the labor force are all employed individuals, including employees, independent traders, employers, unemployed people available for work and individuals who carry out unpaid work for family businesses. Not included in the labor force are young full-time students, people unavailable for work due to disease or reduced ability and people who have left the labor market due to age or other limitations. In statistical terms, these groups are classified as being part of the inactive population.

The chart below, compiled by Eurostat, compares the Faroe Islands with 35 other European nations.

With an 84-percent activity rate averaged over both sexes, the Faroe Islands are in the lead, followed by Iceland, at 81 pc., Switzerland at 76 pc., and Sweden at 74 pc.

Whereas the average activity rate for the 27 EU member nations (excluding the UK) is 64 pc., the European nations with the lowest activity rate are Turkey and Italy, at 53 pc. and 56 pc. respectively.

For men, the Faroe Islands lead the way with an activity rate of 86 pc., followed by Iceland at 85 pc. In Denmark, the corresponding figure is 74 pc. The EU average is 70 pc., with the lowest activity rate for men in Croatia, Belgium, France and Italy, all within the 64-66 pc. range.

At 82 pc., Faroese women have by far the highest activity rate in Europe, with Iceland taking second place at 77 pc. Denmark’s activity rate for women is at 66 pc., compared with an EU average of 58 pc. Turkish women have the lowest activity rate at 34 pc., followed by Italy’s 47 pc.

In all countries except for the Faroe Islands, the activity rates for women are significantly lower compared to men. In the Faroe Islands, the difference is only 4 pc. In Iceland and Denmark, it’s 8 pc., and the average difference in the EU is 12 pc. By far the greatest activity rate difference between the two sexes is in Turkey, with 72 pc. for men and 34 pc. for women.

Sweden: Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Hohenzollern returns to Spain

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Since the beginning of the pandemic last year, Princess Birgitta has stayed in Sweden. Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Hohenzollern, the second oldest sister of the Swedish monarch King Carl XVI Gustaf, was prevented from going home to Spain. In an interview with the Swedish magazine Svensk Damtidning, the Swedish and German princess confirmed that she returned to Spain.

For almost a year, the Swedish princess was unable to return to her Spanish home because of the coronavirus epidemic raging in Europe and the world. Over the last 30 years, the sister of Sweden’s King has been living on the Spanish island of Mallorca. However, because COVID-19 has impacted Spain so hard, the 83-year-old Princess stayed with her Swedish family in Sweden.

When the Princess came to Sweden in March of last year, she said she was glad to be back in Sweden. Princess Birgitta remarked to the newspaper that she has appreciated the time with her brother and sister-in-law. She stated: “Obviously, it has been very nice. I have seen a lot of Sweden. It is very gratifying because I have been away from Sweden for almost 60 years, so that was very positive.”

Her Royal Highness described the uncertainty on when she can return home as “horrible” to the Swedish newspaper Expressen. When COVID-19 broke out in Sweden, the Princess travelled to Sweden. Since then, she then lived for almost a year with her brother, the King, and his family at Stenhammar Palace. She has visited her son in Germany several times, but now she has travelled back to her home in Spain.

In her normal life, Princess Birgitta lives a social life with a lot of socialising, restaurant visits and nice events. Now all that is on hold, and the Princess spends the majority of her time at home. Fortunately, she still gets to play golf daily. Princess Birgitta said: “I am not the one who worries unnecessarily, but it is a serious situation, and we must comply with it. Nevertheless, I am basically a positive person and believe that we will ride out this storm.”

Featured image: Frankie Fouganthin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

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