CHILD BENEFIT (4)

For the past couple of months, the Danish Government has been trying to come up with a policy on child benefit for foreign workers that appeases the opposition, but does not breach E.U. law. That has been an impossible task. Because the opposition wants to have some sort of "earn" principle (whereby workers have to be here for a certain length of time, before they earn the right to benefits); and it is precisely that principle that is against E.U. law, since it makes a distinction between Danish and non-Danish workers.

This week the issue came to a head. Parliament voted on the matter, and voted by a majority to continue to uphold the Danish law (which the Government wants to abolish, it being - in their view - not E.U compliant). The Government immediately said that it would ignore that decision, and continue to apply the current E.U. compliant administrative practices in defiance of Danish law.

Normally if a Government loses a Parliamentary vote, then it has to resign and call new elections. However, for that to happen in Denmark, the vote must be a confidence vote, which this was not. Nor will there be such a vote, since although some of the no parties are against the policy on child benefit, they do not want the Government to fall.

The whole thing took place against the background of the forthcoming European elections. All parties agree that the electorate is fed up with the E.U., so they are jockeying to present themselves as the most eurosceptic. Against that background, it is a disadvantage to be in Government, since you have to play by the rules.

Walter Blotscher