euro|topics - Youth violence in Denmark

05/07/2009

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Main focus of Thursday, February 21, 2008

Youth violence in Denmark

Denmark is embroiled in debate about the causes of recent youth violence. Are Danes questioning their integration policy, and their long-standing model of tolerance ?

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland

Denmark has a new bottom rung, announces Danish writer Jens Christian Grøndahl, who analyzed his compatriots' attitudes toward immigrants and social problems: "When it comes to the uneducated, traditionally oriented ghetto-dwellers of middle-eastern or north-African origin, the charitable Dane is torn between the anxiety he feels because he suspects the return of a class society, and his need to show someone his empathy and to improve his or her tough circumstances through socio-political initiatives. ... The accommodating, flagellatingly self-critical attitude of the welfare state has become second nature to such an extent that arsonists and killers are even seen as victims. In that sense, the generally failed integration is astoundingly successful: there's a very telling correspondence between the social-moral tendency toward empathy, and the oversensitive rhetoric regarding arsonists or fundamentalist Muslims." (21/02/2008)

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany

Siegfried Thielbeer thinks it's not right, when debating the causes for violence in Denmark, to blame Danish society for supposedly failing to integrate foreigners. "Since the current administration took office and toughened Denmark's immigration policy, the country's image as a generous, liberal country, once nourished by sexual permissiveness and long-time toleration of the hashish free-state of 'Christiania', has taken a hit. That seems rather unfair. While limiting immigration, Denmark at the same has carried out an exemplary integration programme." (21/02/2008)

Sydsvenska Dagbladet - Sweden

The youth riots in Copenhagen have unleashed a discussion in Sweden about whether something similar could happen there. "Fights between youth and the police happen regularly in Sweden, as in most other European countries. Every other week, a school is set on fire. Violence and fire blaze up wherever conditions are right," writes the paper. "The unrest is not society's fault, but it definitely presents a societal problem that can't be solved by police units alone. … In Denmark, according to Berlingske Tidende, 10,000 to 12,000 youth are in the process of dropping out of society. In Sweden the numbers are decisively higher – people talk of 50,000." (21/02/2008)

» To the complete press review of Thursday, February 21, 2008

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