A nation at risk? – Danish citizenship policy under austerity

Thanks to the features of the Scandinavian welfare system, Denmark may offer a special case in Europe as far as the relationship between austerity and citizenship is concerned. Yet, two interlinked tendencies in the new millennium may explain an experience of austerity in Denmark. One is related to changes in economic governance and welfare distribution while the other is related to perceived threats to Danish culture and security. In the article, we first briefly outline the development of the Danish welfare model and its recent transformations in relation to changes in legislation on youth unemployment, youth education and the cash benefits system. Second, we turn to the issue of Danish citizenship policy focusing on citizenship education, anti-radicalization measures and ‘terror packages’. We argue that while these political initiatives can only in part be explained as austerity measures, they are linked to general effects of transnational processes and accompanying changes in Danish welfare policies and Danish national identity images – with important (educative) citizenship implications.