As geopolitical tensions rise and Denmark accelerates its military readiness, a new report by DR reveals a troubling inconsistency in the country’s domestic crisis management: Danish citizens are not guaranteed equal emergency assistance, as crisis preparedness varies widely from one municipality to another.
A nationwide survey of 32 municipalities shows that Denmark lacks a standardized national approach to crisis planning, especially for care homes (plejecentre) and housing for people with special needs (bosteder). While some municipalities stockpile emergency supplies—ranging from crispbread and mackerel in tomato sauce to bottled water, toilet paper, and batteries—others provide no more than the everyday items already on their shelves.
No national guidelines leave municipalities to fend for themselves
The reason behind these disparities? There are no national requirements or official guidelines on how local governments should prepare for large-scale emergencies, such as war or prolonged power and water outages. This has left each municipality to develop its own strategy—or none at all.
“In Syddjurs Kommune, we’ve asked care facilities to stock up on everything from headlamps to plastic cutlery so that staff and residents can manage without electricity, water, or heating for at least three days,” said Mayor Michael Stegger Jensen (Socialdemokratiet). “Good planning is the least we can do to be ready.”
Other municipalities, such as Sønderborg, have reviewed their emergency plans but have not invested in additional supplies.
“Our citizens can feel entirely safe under the current circumstances,” said Mayor Erik Lauritzen (Socialdemokratiet). “If threat levels change, we will act accordingly.”
Experts warn of growing inequality in preparedness
However, several Danish crisis management experts warn that this lack of coordination is creating a postcode lottery in terms of safety and care.
“There will be different levels of assistance depending on the municipality,” said Nina Blom Andersen, research leader at the Disaster and Risk Management program (Katastrofe- og Risikomanageruddannelsen) at Copenhagen University College (Københavns Professionshøjskole). “That difference becomes critical when care home residents lose access to electricity or water.”
Iben Bjørnsson, assistant professor at the Royal Danish Defence College (Forsvarsakademiet), echoes these concerns: “The unclear expectations for municipalities risk creating inequality. But the challenge is that we don’t know what kind of incidents to prepare for.”
The government promises action—but when?
Torsten Schack Pedersen (Venstre), Denmark’s newly appointed Minister for Civil Security and Emergency Preparedness (samfundssikkerhed og beredskab), acknowledges the problem.
“There must be room for municipalities to organize themselves in a way that makes sense locally,” said the minister. “But I completely agree that there’s a need for more concrete and better guidance. We’re working on that.”
He added that his ministry is in discussions with other departments and Denmark’s Local Government Association (KL), though he offered no timeline for when clearer national policies might emerge.
Lack of action could put lives at risk
Although in June 2023, Danish authorities recommended citizens to “prep” for at least three days of crisis, this recommendation does not extend to municipalities. As things stand, local governments are only required to ensure basic continuity of care services and to review their crisis plans once per election cycle.
But for experts and advocates, this piecemeal approach is not enough. In the event of a serious emergency, the consequences could be dire—especially for those who depend on public care.
“In a time of increasing global uncertainty, it is unacceptable that emergency preparedness depends on your postcode,” said Andersen. “Safety must be a right, not a lottery.”
