Denmark defies critics, nixes holiday to boost army spending

By JAN M. OLSEN
Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish lawmakers have voted to abolish a springtime public holiday in order to use the savings and boost defense spending, despite harsh criticism from the opposition, trade unions and the country’s bishops. In Tuesday’s 95-68 vote, the 179-seat Folketing approved the centrist coalition government’s bill to scrap Store Bededag, or Great Prayer Day, that falls on the fourth Friday after Easter. Some 16 lawmakers were absent. Savings from the holiday’s scrapping are estimated at around 3 billion kroner ($426 million) annually. The ruling coalition of the Social Democrats, the center-right Liberals and the center Moderates is seeking to achieve the NATO target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense by 2030, in part as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.