Sunday, July 3, 2011 2
world trends
Denmark Is Pushing
To Control Its Borders
By SUZANNE DALEY relies on the openly anti-European
COPENHAGEN — Ten years Union party has fiercely opposed
ago, Denmark joined the Europe- expanded powers for the union’s
an Union’s visa-free open travel bailout fund.
zone, outraging the Danish Peo- “The E.U. had been moving ever
ple’s Party. closer to an overarching coopera-
But in May, the party was cel- tion,” Mr. Erixon said. “But what
ebrating: Prime Minister Lars we are seeing now is a reversal in
Lokke Rasmussen had agreed to the overall trend.”
restore 24-hour customs control in In Denmark, political analysts
exchange for support on a difficult say the Danish People’s Party is
budget package. not only drawing more voters, get-
The deal set off an outcry in the ting 13 percent of the vote in 2007,
European Union as Denmark be- but it has also pulled more main- NIKOS KONSTANDARAS
came the first member to seriously stream parties to the right as they Mount Hymettus, stripped during World War II and regenerated by volunteers, is now a lush respite.
challenge the union’s crowning try to win voters back, a phenome-
achievement: the free movement non that experts say has occurred
of goods and services across bor- in other countries. intelligence/NIkos koNsTaNDaras
ders. Professor Marlene Wind, a po-
On June 24, Italy and France,
with a huge influx of immigrants
from North Africa, won the ability
litical scientist at the University
of Copenhagen, said that with new
elections likely in the next few
Finding the Will to Rebuild
to temporarily close borders in an months, only one small party ini-
emergency, during a meeting of tially spoke out against the border Athens criminals and protect the innocent. reaucracy that inhibits growth
European leaders. deal. Few capital cities can boast a Unless they have political con- must be tamed. The government is
The Danish Parliament has yet “Hardly anyone said anything treasure as beautiful, fragile and nections or have bribed to gain an sitting on real estate that is worth
to ratify its border deal. But ex- because they think it might get unsung as the pine and cypress for- advantage, citizens feel vulnerable, 300 billion euros, about the same
perts say it is part of a worrying them voters back from the D.P.P.,” est that overlooks the cauldron of and are more likely to cheat on their amount as Greece’s public debt.
trend for the European Union. she said. fear and anger that is Athens these taxes or shirk their civic responsi- Instead of putting it on the market
Small nationalist parties in many Much of the support for Den- days. From the eastern edges of a bility. to raise cash, it has been waiting for
European countries, anti-immi- mark’s far right comes from the sea of cement, over the seething Three simple steps would save environmentally-friendly projects
grant and anti-European Union, working class, which chafed at crowds protesting the country’s money, encourage a responsible which Prime Minister George Pa-
ultraliberal immigration policies near bankruptcy, the forest breeze citizenry and help develop our pandreou had heralded as a corner-
that have allowed thousands of im- descends upon the fevered city, re- economy and society: stone of his government’s policy.
migrants to enter the country. lieving even those who have never ¶ Simplify the legal code and tax Private and non-profit universi-
Across Europe, The Danish People’s Party’s
leader, Pia Kjaersgaard, is widely
visited it.
This crisis is the worst Greece
laws, scrapping existing legislation
that is a maze of contradictions.
ties, which are now prohibited by
the Constitution, should be legal-
cracks in the E.U.’s credited with forcing an overhaul has faced since World War II, when ¶ Reduce social security contri- ized and developed to attract for-
of the country’s immigration poli- the country was devastated by a butions, which, with taxes, can eat eign students. Hospitals in or near
facade of unity. cies, now among the most restric- harsh German occupation, famine up more than half of each salary. holiday resorts could be developed
tive in Europe. and a civil war that did not end until ¶ Assure cynical citizens that to encourage medical tourism,
Rene Schultz, a 42-year-old fur- 1949. The slopes of Mount Hymet- from now on the law will be applied which has attracted wealthy West-
niture mover from Ishoj, blames tus were stripped bare by the Ger- fairly to all. erners to countries like India and
are leveraging important changes immigrants for a rise in crime, mans and desperate Greeks. While Young Greeks who are bright and Hungary. Greece could build retire-
in policies. though official statistics do not the Marshall Plan helped rebuild ambitious are crushed by the sys- ment communities and entice Eu-
“It is something that we are see- support this claim. the economy, it took the selfless tem. More than 40 percent of people ropeans from colder regions where
ing across the European Union,” “We need to close the borders,” dedication of volunteers, grudging under the age of 25 are unemployed. the cost of living is higher.
said Fredrik Erixon, the director Mr. Schultz said. “And if they state support and half a century to Many want to leave. They should be Greece has the world’s attention
of the European Center for In- throw us out of the European create the lush forest that makes encouraged to do so — at least tem- for all the wrong reasons, but this
ternational Political Economy in Union, that’s fine with me.” life in Athens tolerable in the hot, porarily. Instead of young men do- is also an opportunity to market
Brussels. Martin Henriksen, a party dry summer. ing national service in the military, itself differently. Greeks need to
Mr. Erixon and other experts spokesman, said that for a country As Greeks struggle to turn their men and women should be encour- show the world the best qualities
say these populist parties have to survive, its people must share country around and break their aged to take part in exchange pro- the country has to offer — from ag-
mounted a serious assault on the values and customs. seemingly hopeless addiction to grams with Greeks of the diaspora. ricultural products to our ancient
European Union’s principal in- He called the European Union’s debt, and the rest of the world wor- By traveling abroad, they can learn culture to our tourist sites — to
stitutions: the euro zone and free objections to the border deal ab- ries about the “Greek contagion,” how functioning societies manage traditional markets as well as new
trade across open borders. surd. “If we throw someone out of the Hymettus forest is a reminder their legal and economic systems ones. Visas for tourists from China,
In Italy, for instance, legislation the country because he is a crimi- of how beautiful this country is and and return to plant the seeds of a who now face a series of hurdles for
was passed recently to designate nal, he can turn around and walk of how it is possible to accomplish country based on merit, fairness travel to Greece, should be simpli-
certain Italian companies as stra- back in,” he said. “That is ridicu- anything if the Greeks can muster and growth. fied and encouraged. These newly
tegic and prevent their foreign lous.” their collective will. The government must create affluent visitors from Asia show
takeover. A recent skit on TV in Germany Greece is in a mess because its strong new players in the economy an interest in Europe’s history and
In Finland, the populist True featured a newsman at the Ger- laws and its institutions foster a — pushing banks to merge, priva- philosophy and Greece is at its epi-
Finn Party won 19 percent of the man border with Denmark, a gate lack of trust between the citizens tizing state assets, creating and en- center.
vote in April when it campaigned blocking the road. In the back- and state. The complicated legal couraging companies that will have With the help of our foreign
against any more contributions to ground, a luckless German who code, and its capricious enforce- the strength to compete abroad and friends, we Greeks have to rebuild
bailing out euro zone countries. had strayed into Danish territory ment, encourage corruption and expand our very small economy. our country. If we follow the exam-
As euro zone officials have was being gunned down. make it difficult for the police, Our neighbor Turkey has fol- ple of the volunteers who planted,
fought to steady markets in “In Denmark, we don’t think tax officers and judges to pursue lowed such a policy and in 10 years watered and nurtured the saplings
the face of a possible default by of the Germans as even having a its companies are all over the on Mount Hymettus to regener-
Greece, a Dutch government that sense of humor,” said Professor Nikos Konstandaras is the manag- Middle East, the Balkans, Central ate its forest, we may just work a
Wind, “but this is completely on ing editor of the Greek daily Kathi- Asia and beyond. Investment and miracle and revive an economy and
Anna-Katarina Gravgaard the spot and very funny. It’s so em- merini. Send comments to business procedures in Greece a country facing one of the greatest
contributed reporting. barrassing.” intelligence@nytimes.com. need to be simplified and the bu- challenges in its long history.
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