Brussels Edition: ‘Queen of crises’ calls snap vote

Denmark's premier, the 'queen of crises,' calls snap vote as Greenland boosts her standing

Read in browser

Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I'm John Ainger, Bloomberg climate and energy reporter, bringing you the latest from the EU. Make sure you're signed up. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen secured a boost in the polls at home for her handling of Donald Trump's threats to annex Greenland this year. Now she's drawing down that capital by calling an early election next month. The 48-year-old Social Democrat announced Thursday that she'll seek a third term at the helm of Denmark's government, triggering a vote on March 24 — seven months before a constitutional deadline. The comes weeks after Trump revived claims on the semi-autonomous Arctic territory under Danish sovereignty last month, threatening at points to take it by force if necessary. The threats exploded into one of the gravest transatlantic crises since World War II as the US leader brandished tariff threats on European countries that stood in his way. Through the turmoil, Frederiksen reinforced her image as a disciplined and steady leader during periods of national strain. The performance was enough to earn her the moniker "Queen of Crises." Mette Frederiksen arrives for an emergency European Union summit in Brussels, Jan. 22, 2026. Photographer: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg Although the Greenland affair is "by no means over, we have managed to get through it so far," Frederiksen said in a parliamentary speech in Copenhagen today. Denmark must define itself in relation to the US in the coming term, she said. Frederiksen is one of the few national leaders from Europe's center-left bucking a broad shift to the right. She first rose to power in 2019 by steering her party toward a tougher stance on immigration to reclaim working-class voters. Since then, she's succeeded in stitching together a broad coalition that includes the Liberals, a traditional opponent, and the Moderates, a new centrist party. Despite controversies that weighed down her standing prior to the crisis, she now looks likely to secure another term, with no obvious challenger to form a governing majority. In recent weeks, her government has rushed through relief grants on rising food prices, further sharpened its stance on immigration and presented plans to change the school system, including class-size reductions. The Latest World Economic Forum CEO Borge Brende is stepping down from his position after it emerged he had ties with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein The ECB will be "extremely attentive" to any signs that the adoption of artificial intelligence throughout the economy is sparking job losses, President Christine Lagarde said. Elsewhere, Lagarde was paid almost €600,000 last year, in addition to a residence provided by the institution. She also claimed 130,457 Swiss francs ($168,390) in remuneration from the Bank for International Settlements. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he'll push ahead with a new effort to strengthen Sino-German ties while highlighting the need to address "high capacities" in China as his visit came to a close Apollo Global Management and BNP Paribas are nearing a deal to partner up in Europe's private credit market, we're told. The US and Iran are set to hold a third round of nuclear talks on Thursday with days to go until Trump's deadline for a deal Seen and Heard on Bloomberg US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Bloomberg TV in an interview that Trump will sign a supplemental proclamation to increase the tariff level to 15% "where appropriate." "We're gonna have to have a couple, three months to make sure that we rejigger the tariffs in a way that comply with our end of the deal," Greer said. "And we expect the EU and UK to hold up their end of the bargain too." Chart of the Day Italy's industry minister launched one of the biggest attacks on the EU's carbon market, calling for the "ineffective" tool to be temporarily suspended ahead of a thorough review. It adds to pressure on a key pillar of the bloc's plans to reach climate neutrality by the middle of the century, as countries rush to protect their industries. Coming up Press conference after meeting of EU industry ministers this afternoon Saint-Gobain reports results this evening EU research ministers meet in Brussels tomorrow Tomorrow Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President Antonio Costa meet Portugal's President Final Thought Visitors in the snow near the Louvre Museum on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. Photographer: Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg French President Emmanuel Macron named an art historian with extensive experience managing cultural institutions as the new head of the Louvre months after jewel thieves struck the Paris museum in a brazen heist. Christophe Leribault, 62, who has run the gilded Château de Versailles for the last two years, is tasked with boosting safety and modernizing the site to restore confidence, the Culture Ministry said. The theft of around $100 million worth of jewels in broad daylight in October shed an unflattering light on security lapses at the former royal palace. Like the Brussels Edition? Don't keep it to yourself. Colleagues and friends can sign up here. How are we doing? We want to hear what you think about this newsletter. Let our Brussels bureau chief know. We're improving your newsletter experience and we'd love your feedback. If something looks off, help us fine-tune your experience by reporting it here. Follow us You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Brussels Edition newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, sign up here to get it in your inbox. Unsubscribe Bloomberg.com Contact Us Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10022 |