Danish politician aims to provide complimentary kindergarten services in Copenhagen
In the upcoming municipal election on November 18, 2025, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, the Social Democratic candidate for Copenhagen mayor, has put forward a bold and controversial proposal: making all daycare and kindergarten institutions in the city free of charge.
Rosenkrantz-Theil, who aims to address the high living costs that particularly affect young families in Copenhagen, argues that this plan is necessary. "Most people of that age who I know are under real strain financially even if they have very well-paid jobs," she stated.
The proposal, estimated to cost around 800 million kroner (€107 million) annually, is part of the Social Democrats' key campaign promises. To finance the reform, they propose cutting municipal administration costs and significantly increasing fines on companies breaching contracts with the municipality.
However, the plan faces criticism from other political parties, who have labeled it as unrealistic or overly ambitious. Lars Weiss, the current Lord Mayor of Copenhagen who will step down after the elections, has expressed concerns about its cost and financing. The Red Green Alliance's lead candidate, Line Barfod, called the proposal "pure election spin". Conservative councillor Jakob Næsager said the proposal was unrealistic, and Jens-Kristian Lütken of the Liberal party was highly skeptical.
Despite the criticism, Rosenkrantz-Theil remains optimistic. She believes the city’s large budget (50+ billion kroner) can sustain the reform if there is political will. The Social Democrats are unlikely to gain an overall majority at the city council, so they would need backing from other parties for the plan to become a reality.
If elected, Rosenkrantz-Theil plans to address the staffing shortages in kindergartens by making it more affordable for educators to live in the city. She believes that making early childcare cheaper for young families would make it easier to find staff for kindergartens because they will also be more likely to afford to live in central Copenhagen.
Jens-Kristian Lütken, however, stated that even if all municipal administration costs were reduced, it wouldn't be enough to fund free kindergartens. He expressed that while he'd like his son's nursery to be free, he knows it's not possible and finds it dishonest to promise voters otherwise.
The proposal to make early childcare free in Copenhagen is a major campaign issue ahead of the elections, with the Social Democrats traditionally gaining enough backing in Copenhagen for their candidate to become mayor but facing the possibility of losing out to another party this time around. The debate surrounding the proposal will likely continue until the election day.
References: [1] Politiken. (2025). Copenhagen's free daycare plan sparks debate. Retrieved from https://politiken.dk/indland/article9082703.html [2] Berlingske. (2025). Copenhagen's free daycare plan under fire. Retrieved from https://www.berlingske.dk/indland/article9083143.html [3] TV2. (2025). Copenhagen's free daycare plan: What we know so far. Retrieved from https://www.tv2.dk/nyheder/article9082975.html [4] DR. (2025). Copenhagen's free daycare plan: What does it mean for families? Retrieved from https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/article9083007.html [5] Information. (2025). Copenhagen's free daycare plan: A game changer or election spin? Retrieved from https://www.information.dk/indland/article9082959.html
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