Denmark to strengthen migration control during EU presidency - expert

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, known for her firm stance on migration, plans to transfer her experience to the European arena. Politico columnist Nicholas Winokur writes about this.

Frederiksen, who has led the Danish government since 2019, has earned a reputation as a politician who combines social democratic views with a tough approach to migration. Despite criticism from the left, it is these policies that have earned her high ratings domestically and the support of a wide range of European politicians.

"For most people, security now means opposing Russia, but it is also about everyday life, including migration," Frederiksen previously told Politico. Fighting illegal migration and strengthening Europe's defence are two sides of the same coin, she said.

As part of its presidency, Denmark plans to promote the idea of creatingreturncentres for migrants outside the EU, the so-called "return hubs". Migrants could stay in such centres while waiting for their asylum applications to be processed or after being rejected. Denmark supports the relevant European Commission initiatives presented in March this year and expects to push the talks as far as possible during its six-month presidency.

"We want to use our presidency to move forward with negotiations on return centres," said an EU diplomat. However, it is unlikely that the process will be fully finalised before the end of the year, the publication's sources admitted.

In addition, Denmark will insist on the European Commission's revision of some interpretations of the European Convention on Human Rights to facilitate the deportation procedure. In May this year, Denmark and eight other countries called on the EU to revise such approaches.

Frederiksen has also been a strong advocate of investment agreements with countries outside the EU, which should help reduce the flow of migrants into Europe.

The second important topic of the Danish presidency will be defence policy. Frederiksen is convinced that the EU must be ready to independently counter threats, primarily coming from Russia.

"Europe must gain defence autonomy in the next five years," she stressed in a conversation with Politico.

Under the Danish presidency, Denmark plans to promote joint European defence projects, particularly the development of common military capabilities such as a unified air-to-air refuelling system. At the same time, Copenhagen is cautious about the idea of a joint loan for defence spending, which is supported by southern European countries.

In addition to migration and defence, the Danish ambassador to the EU, Carsten Grönbeck-Jensen, will have to deal with EU enlargement. Among the potential candidates for accession are Ukraine and Moldova.

Economic reforms will also be an important item on the agenda. Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, earlier warned of a "slow agony" of the European economy without reforms. Denmark supports initiatives to improve competitiveness, but will proceed cautiously, especially on European capital markets unification, where negotiations have previously failed.

For Frederiksen, a successful EU presidency is not only an opportunity to realise her ideas on a pan-European level, but also an important political resource. Despite the fact that she has not announced her intention to go to the next elections, analysts consider it likely. According to the latest polls, her Social Democrat party is well ahead of her rivals.

"She will probably want to seek re-election, maybe even call an early election if the polls are favourable," an anonymous ally of the Danish prime minister told Politico.

Over the next six months, advocates of tight migration controls and a strong European defence will have an influential ally in Brussels. To what extent this will pay political dividends for Frederiksen herself in Denmark, time will tell.