The Danish parliament. Wikimedia. PD.Five years ago, the famous American political scientist Francis Fukuyama introduced the catchphrase ‘Getting to Denmark’. He described how less developed countries can become like Danish society “that’s prosperous, democratic, secure and well-governed, and experiences low levels of corruption”.
This Danish political fairytale was tarnished last week by the book Skjulte Penge, or Hidden Money, which revealed how business clubs have for years fundraised for parties across Denmark’s political landscape, abusing loopholes in Denmark’s political finance laws. It is high time to wake up to the reality that Denmark is the only remaining country in the Nordics, and virtually all of Europe, with hardly any laws to ban the crippling influence of money on politics.
