Who should I vote for? Quizzes for the European and Danish elections

With two big elections coming up it is time to find out where you stand on Danish and European politics. But how do you find out where you stand? Easiest is to use vote matching systems and online election quizzes. In this way you don’t have to sit through tedious debates between politicians, in real life or on TV, where looks and delivery are more important than substance.

EU citizens in Denmark can vote in the European parliamentary elections 26th May, and Danes can also vote in the Danish election 5th June.

Here below and summarised in the fact box right is my own selection of vote matching quizzes. Test yourself on them! (And let me know in the comments if I have forgotten any that are important!)

European

For the European elections there is the pan-European vote-matcher here which is a co-operation between different European media houses. The in-Danish version of this is on Altinget here.

Danish public service broadcaster DR has a test for the European parliamentary elections here, but it is only in Danish.

Danish

As for the Danish general election, there are quite a few to choose from: An English-language one for Danish politics is available on this international vote matching site.

The DR broadcaster one is here (in Danish). The TV2 test is here (in Danish). Altinget has one here (in Danish). This one from the newspaper Information is based on what politicians ACTUALLY voted for (in Danish).

Parties want to clamp down on grants for EU students

The Danish People’s Party (DPP) and the Social Democrats have gone together to demand stricter rules for foreign nationals claiming student grants.

7,047 citizens of other EU countries received a Danish student grant (SU) last year, costing the state DKK 500m (EUR 36m), compared to only 546 citizens in 2013 before the EU ruled that EU citizens have the right to support if they work 10-12 hours a week in this country.

»In my opinion the EU should keep its greasy hands off how we organise our welfare state,« said the DPP’s lead candidate for the May 26th EU election, Peter Kofod, adding that it’s ‘deeply unfair’ that people who’ve never set foot in this country have immediate access to social handouts such as SU.

Solidarity for Latin American students

In Latin America, government repression and the threat of violence forces students to flee or go into exile, while others are murdered for being involved in student politics.

The student council’s chapter at the faculty Humrådet held a solidarity event Wednesday to shed light on the issue.

Crown Princess Mary photo op

It’s the 15th time the award has been given out, and every time it is a unique photo opportunity for those catering to fans of international royalty.

From a previous event. Picture by Agnès Colber (University of Copenhagen)

It is the Crown Princess Mary Scholarship, and it is given out every year to two Australian exchange students at the University of Copenhagen. This year was no exception, with Lloyd John Peacock Duncan and Shi Pui Ng the chosen recipients.

The princess was wearing a stunning cream pant suit and white blouse, as she smiled and waved to onlookers on her way in and out of the university. (Click on the links! The picture right was from a previous event, as we don’t want to infringe the copyright of the photographers!)

She looked AMAZING in her gorgeous outfit said Australian lifestyle site New Idea.

Rector supports imprisoned researcher and activist

Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi. Photo: Scholars at Risk

Rector of the University of Copenhagen Henrik Wegener has written a letter to the King of Saudi Arabia, expressing his support for historian and human rights activist Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi.

Al-Fassi, a researcher in women’ history who has been fighting for women’s rights and gender equality, was arrested by the authorities of Saudi Arabia in June 2018

According to the Scholars at Risk group, Dr. Al-Fassi, along with other detainees, has been temporarily released from prison. But there is no information indicating when, if ever, she will return to prison or if the authorities will drop charges against her.

Details emerge from grave of murdered Bronze Age family

15 people found in a Bronze Age mass grave in southern Poland were all killed by a blow to the head. Yet their bodies were buried together with great care and consideration.

Now, genetic evidence suggests these individuals were members of the same extended family, according to a team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen, the University of Aarhus, and the Archaeological Museum in Poznan, Poland. The individuals were positioned in the grave according to their kin relationships.

The bodies in the grave were placed neatly side by side and with gifts for their last journey. Reconstruction: Michał Podsiadło (polish artist).

All 15 skulls exhibited fatal cranial fractures, but no defensive wounds, such as injuries to the upper limbs, were detected, which suggests these individuals were captured and executed, and not killed in hand-to-hand combat.

Importantly, fathers and older male relatives were missing from the grave, »suggesting that it might have been them who buried their kin,« wrote the authors in the new study.

»Our suggestion is that they weren’t at the settlement when the massacre occurred and that they returned later, and subsequently buried their families in a respectful way,« said biologist Morten Allentoft of the University of Copenhagen.

Professor ousted from deanship after joining Weinstein legal team

Following protests by students, Harvard University has announced that it would not renew the appointments of Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., a defense lawyer who had joined Harvey Weinstein’s legal team, and of Sullivan’s wife, Stephanie R. Robinson, as faculty deans of an undergraduate residential college.

Sullivan and Robinson, were the first African-American faculty deans in Harvard’s history.  Sullivan’s decided in January to help represent movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who is scheduled to go to trial in September on criminal charges that include rape.

After a student petition called for his removal as faculty dean, Sullivan, a prominent lawyer known for his work overturning wrongful convictions, wrote an email to students defending the need to represent ‘unpopular defendants.’

Write to miy@adm.ku.dk if you have any ideas, or suggestions for stories or links on the next Weekly Intel!