Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city and the capital of the Jutland peninsula, is buzzing with journalists, politicians, and thousands of police men and women for the official kick-off of the Danish Presidency in the EU Council.  

But once the local government, the EU Commission, and President Zelenskyy have departed, the buzz will turn to muffled frustration.

Other member countries have seized the six-month tenure as an opportunity to put their country – and their leadership – centre stage. In the second half of 2023, Pedro Sánchez used the Spanish presidency to cast himself as the next European statesman (not that it worked).

And Orbán’s Hungary launched a mission to “Make Europe Great Again” – a grand game plan that was disrupted by the European elections in 2024.

Denmark, by contrast, prefers to pretend the rotating office isn't really a thing.

Even the unveiling of Copenhagen's priorities for its term, usually a celebratory affair for a country, was a downer. The event was even shunned by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and led instead by the relatively junior minister for European affairs. The message: This isn't really that important.

The last Danish presidency in 2012 was known as the "tap water-presidency", a reference to the cardboard bottles served at ministerials. Expect more of the same.

In a blunt briefing with national media, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said that expectations should be dialled back. A director of one of the more important ministries told their civil servants: “The goal is not to be remembered.”

“Let’s keep it well-conducted and neat – Scandinavian,” another Danish official told Euractiv.

Cheap eats across the Atlantic – The European Free Trade Association clinched a trade agreement with Mercosur, scrapping duties on many agricultural imports. Mercosur-EU negotiations have been slow, with Brussels focused instead on the US and China.

Padding Putin’s pockets – More than three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has yet to cut the flow of fossil fuel cash to Moscow, casting doubt on its promise to end its addiction to Russian energy by 2027.

A shocking reversal – Berlin has reneged on its promise to bring down electricity taxation rates from one of Europe’s highest to the minimum allowed under EU law, lacking current “fiscal leeway” to make tax cuts.

Nawrocki swearing in  – Poland’s president-elect Karol Nawrocki will be sworn in after the Supreme Court validated his win Tuesday. This is despite continued legal challenges and allegations of voting irregularities.

Italy breaks ground on mineral exploration – Italy is launching its first major public geological research push in over 30 years, aiming to uncover critical and strategic raw materials amid Europe’s shifting supply chain priorities with a focus on materials crucial to the EU’s economy and security.

Corrigenda: Yesterday's Brief had the leader of the Dutch Freedom Party as 'Kurt Wilders'. This has been corrected.

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