German Tourism Allure Sparks Danish Debate on Border Opening
Denmark’s Prime Minister Faces Pressure to Open German Border
(Bloomberg) -- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she’ll consider letting German tourists back in this summer, as the spread of Covid-19 showed signs of receding in northern Europe.
With the economy set to shrink by as much as 6% this year, Frederiksen has faced growing calls to reopen the border with the country’s biggest trading partner.
The premier has been widely praised for her handling of the coronavirus crisis, shutting down much of society already in mid-March, when the pandemic was still at its early stages.
But she has also been criticized by the opposition, and by some of her own allies, who say it is now safe enough to let Germans in. Most agree that opening the border with Sweden, which has adopted a laxer approach to the pandemic, isn’t appropriate.
Speaking ahead of a televised debate of party leaders late Thursday, Frederiksen rejected those calls, saying “I am puzzled by those who say we can just open wide the borders. May I remind them that the virus came over the border.”
But she offered some concessions during the debate, saying the government would not rule out granting exemptions to Germans who have rented accommodation in Denmark during the summer.
Nearly 17 million Germans had overnight stays in Denmark last year. Many of them rent cottages in Denmark’s western region of Jutland during the summer.
Germany has already announced plans to reopen its borders by June 15, with Interior Minister Horst Seehofer saying he is ready to stop checks with Denmark as early as Friday. European Council President Charles Michel has urged all EU member states to reopen their internal borders “as soon as possible.”
Denmark was one of the first countries in northern Europe to introduce strict restrictions due to the coronavirus and is now one of the first to have started a gradual return to normality. Shops and primary schools re-opened this week, and the prime minister has since hinted that Phase 2 might be accelerated with the opening up of museums, restaurants and bars.
Party leaders are due to discuss the issue next week, while the government plans to make its decision known no later than June 1.
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