News from Danimarca

From the heroism of Gisèle Pelicot and the chances of lasting change for France, via the latest government shenanigans and the best French Christmas traditions, Inside France is our weekly looks at the news and talking points from France.

In this week’s Inside Italy review, we look into why Milan’s upcoming ban on outdoor smoking may achieve little, and whether northern Italy really is the ‘best’ part of the country to live in as quality of life reports seem to suggest.

The Saudi suspect in Germany’s deadly car-ramming attack on a Christmas market held strongly anti-Islam views and was angry with Germany’s migrant policy, officials said Saturday.

Denmark’s usually-stable currency was left weakened on Friday after the news that pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, a major contributor to the national economy, had suffered a 20 percent devaluation of its share price.

Switzerland and the EU announced what was described as an “historic” new deal on Friday paving the way for a new relationship between them. But the agreement is far from signed and sealed and the Swiss may still scupper it.

The Swiss president Viola Amherd hailed the signing of a new deal between Switzerland and the EU on Friday as ‘good and beneficial’ for both sides, whilst EU chief Ursula von der Leyen described it as “historic”.

As France continues to roll out ‘freeflow’ toll booths – in which drivers go straight through and pay later – there are warnings of record levels of fines for late payments.

A French mayor has published a decree reminding Father Christmas that under the French labour code he has the right to take breaks, even on Christmas Eve.

Early in December, Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell in Syria, ending over 50 years of his family’s rule. Syrians in Sweden, many of whom arrived in the country after fleeing Assad in 2015, had mixed reactions to the news.

The Swedish central bank as expected cut the country’s key interest rate by 0.25 percentage points on Thursday.

Germany’s centre-right CDU and CSU have long been vociferous opponents of the dual nationality law. As the federal election draws nearer, they are pledging to revoke key parts of it.

The leader of the Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Åkesson, has said in a recent interview that not only naturalised citizens should be able to lose their Swedish citizenship, but also those born in Sweden.

The Danish Immigration Ministry is to consider a new step to the citizenship application process which would ‘screen’ the personal views of applicants.

Next year is set to bring with it some major changes for foreign students in Germany, from more financial support to more Erasmus funding for universities. Here are the top 10 changes and trends you need to know about.

The Talking France podcast is back with a new episode. This week we’re introducing you to France’s new prime minister, plus we’ll explain what to expect from Christmas in France this year, and why foreigners are struggling with a certain French admin site.