#13 How Denmark should steer the EU from the sidelines - with Christine Nissen

The European flag flew and there was a party in Aarhus when the opening ceremony for the Danish EU Presidency in July was attended by the Royal Couple, the Prime Minister, Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj. 

But in fact, the power of the country holding the presidency has shrunk while the problems for Europe just keep growing and growing.  

However, that doesn't mean that the role isn't important. As President of the EU Council of Ministers, you are the leader of the meeting and you can choose several approaches to rally the troops in a time that calls for Europe to stand together. Christine Nissen, Chief Analyst at Think Tank Europe, explains this in this week's Compass: 

"Denmark sits at the head of the table and must help lead Europe at a time when there is a bit of a storm around us," she says. 

Safety first 

Mette Frederiksen has set out the priorities for the Danish Presidency. First and foremost, it is about defense and security, but green transition and a strict immigration policy are also key issues, and this is no coincidence: 

"Her priorities are definitely something she will campaign on in a Danish context, but also something she believes makes sense on a European level," says Christine Nissen. 

The next six months will determine whether Mette Frederiksen succeeds in using the presidency to conduct a nascent election campaign in parallel with Denmark trying to unite a Europe under pressure.