On the first Tuesday of October, the Danish Parliament, Folketinget, holds its tradition-filled opening ceremony.
Normally, the opening marks Folketinget’s return from the summer holidays. This year, however, the parliament has sat for much of the summer after sitting little in the spring, following the early election and lengthy government negotiations.
Today will include a church service, prominent guests, the election of a new Speaker of Folketinget, an important speech from the Prime Minister, and a marathon parliamentary session.
This article takes you through the key points you need to know to follow the goings-on today.
Church service
The day will start with a church service in the Christiansborg Palace Chapel, attended by members of Folketinget, ministers, and other guests. This year, the service will be led by Bishop Thomas Reinholdt Rasmussen.
Special guests in Folketinget
At 12:00, the ceremony in Folketinget will begin. Before that, Folketinget’s Presidium (led by the Speaker of Folketinget) will receive representatives of the Royal Family.
This year, the ceremony is expected to be attended by King Frederik X, Queen Mary, and Princess Benedikte (Frederik’s aunt). They will be brought into Folketinget, where they will watch the early proceedings.
Other guests normally attend as well. These include a representative of the Danish Supreme Court, the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, and representatives of the political leadership in Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Election of the Speaker of Folketinget
The first item of business is the election of the Speaker of Folketinget, a role expected to change hands today.
Since 2022, the role has been held by Søren Gade of Venstre. Today, however, it is expected to pass to Henrik Frandsen of the Moderates (Moderaterne).
This is despite Frandsen having been caught up in a scandal over alleged previous malfeasance involving the sale of a property when he was mayor of Tønder Municipality.
The proceedings will be led by the MP who has served longest in Folketinget, currently Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (also of the Moderates).
The Presidium’s four vice-chairs will also be elected. They are expected to be Leif Lahn Jensen of the Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet), Karsten Hønge of the Green Left (Socialistisk Folkeparti), Jacob Jensen of Venstre, and Morten Messerschmidt of the Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti).
The Prime Minister’s speech
After the election of the Speaker, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of the Social Democrats will deliver a speech. In it, she will comment on the state of the Kingdom and set out policy initiatives for the coming legislative year.
The speech is required by the Danish Constitution, which obliges her to deliver a “statement on the state of the realm and the government’s plans.”
She is expected to set out plans to reintroduce Great Prayer Day (Store Bededag). Given the delay to the 2027 budget, she may also comment on the government’s proposals for it.
Her speech is expected to last roughly an hour.
After Frederiksen’s speech, the Copenhagen Boys’ Choir will sing the national anthem, “Der er et yndigt land”.