[Magic Number 90%]④ Average Age 45.6... Denmark's 'Young Politics'

Denmark's Secret to Achieving Dream Voter Turnout
Half of Parliament Are Young Politicians Under 45
Democracy Education Drives Youth Political Participation
20s Female Politician "Opposes Gender Quotas"

Denmark has active political participation among its youth. These young politicians enter the Danish Parliament, presenting new challenges and encouraging political engagement among the younger generation. The government is also proactive in supporting youth political participation and nurturing young politicians. This is cited as a key reason why Denmark, a politically advanced country, has achieved a near 90% voter turnout, a dream figure.

According to the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) on the 16th, the proportion of politicians under 40 in Denmark is 34.64%. The average age of members of parliament is 45.65 years, nearly 10 years younger than in Korea. The proportion of female members is as high as 43.6%. Local councils are also elected through proportional representation, and among the 55 Copenhagen city council members, excluding three who turned 30 this year, 12 are under 30 years old.

This is the biggest difference compared to Korea’s parliament. Currently, in the 21st National Assembly, with Justice Party member Ryu Ho-jeong born in 1992 turning 30, there are no members under 20. The proportion of members under 40 is only 3.7%. The proportion of female members of parliament is 19.1%. There are criticisms that certain genders and age groups are overrepresented.

Average Age of Danish Parliament 45.6 Years... Korea’s is 54.9 Years

The difference between the two countries is attributed to political education. Park Hye-min, CEO of New Wave, said, "It is difficult to receive consistent training within domestic political parties, and due to the party’s unique organizational culture, so-called 'ageism,' it is challenging for young people to systematically grow within it. Also, opportunities such as nominations are structured in an electoral system and organizational culture that favor established politicians, making it relatively difficult for young people to enter politics."

In fact, young politicians in Denmark are rarely selected through party nominations. In Denmark, political roles are performed from youth through party activities or social and civic organizations, which often lead to choosing political science as a university major. Most current members of parliament have been politically active since their youth, including Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. She, the youngest prime minister in history and the second female prime minister, was active in the Social Democratic youth organization at age 15 and was first elected to parliament at 24.

The active political participation of youth owes much to the Danish Youth Council (DUF). DUF was established in the 1940s to defend against Nazism and anti-democratic forces and is responsible for youth democracy education and suffrage training. It currently has 80 youth and young adult organizations with about 600,000 members. Danish youth commonly join political parties or organizations without age restrictions and engage in political and social activities. DUF carries out various projects to further strengthen youth political participation and receives support from the Danish Ministry of Culture.

DUF Increases Youth Political Participation Through Mock Elections

Christine Ravn Lund (28), Chairperson of DUF, is introducing the organization after an interview with Asia Economy.

In particular, DUF partners with the Danish Parliament to conduct a mock election called the "School Election" (for 8th and 9th graders) before general elections, where students directly elect the next prime minister. This has been highly influential socially. There is also evidence that the actual voter turnout of the age group that participated in the school election increases. According to DUF’s annual "Democracy Analysis," 82% of Danish youth (ages 16?25) reported participating in political activities. Political discussions were the highest at 48%, followed by election participation at 47%. Signing petitions (39%) and buying or boycotting campaigns (23%) followed.

Christine Ravn Lund (28), chairperson of DUF, said, "In a democratic society, everyone has value," emphasizing, "The younger generation does not have relative power compared to the older generation, so there must be many support activities for young people." Lund added, "It is important to learn the history of democracy and formal institutions, but more importantly, it is essential to exercise democracy in daily life and participate equally," calling for increased efforts to boost political participation.

20s University Student Parliament Member Allowed Leave of Absence... No Salary

Christina Sade Olumeko (26) of the Alternative Party is a representative young politician in the Danish Parliament. Before being elected to parliament, she served as a Copenhagen city council member. She proudly cites passing an ordinance related to the "doughnut economy" to make Copenhagen a circular economy city as her most notable legislative achievement. Doughnut economics is an economic model devised by British economist Kate Raworth to protect both humans and the environment. She currently serves on the Finance Committee.

She recently took a two-month leave of absence during her term to complete graduate school. In Denmark, it is common for politicians to have a "deputy list" prepared for their leave of absence. There have even been cases where male ministers took parental leave. Olumeko explained, "There is an official rule formalizing politicians’ breaks, so they can take leave anytime. You can receive a salary when you are sick, but for leave like mine to finish school, you cannot receive a salary."

She said, "I was a bit worried that (voters) might be disappointed, but no one was," and shared, "I received a good message saying, 'It’s good that you finished school.'" She added, "Politicians are not just politicians; they need to have diverse knowledge. Danish culture focuses on living your own life before being a politician."

Born to a Nigerian father and a French mother, Olumeko created the party title "minority spokesperson." She explained, "People with darker skin like me experience discrimination, which is a very unfortunate problem. In Denmark, minorities and their rights and welfare are often forgotten or overlooked."

The Alternative Party, to which Olumeko belongs, is progressive and is promoting key policy agendas such as universal basic income and a four-day workweek. In the last election, Olumeko opposed the party line on the bill mandating a 30% quota for female executives. She explained, "The first reason is that women might appear incapable of doing it themselves. The second is that the end does not justify the means; just because it is bad for men to discriminate against women does not mean men should be treated the same way."

Joined Youth Party at 13... Elected First Copenhagen City Council Member at 23

Laura Rosenvinge (29), a Social Democratic Copenhagen city council member, is a "prepared politician." She joined a youth party at 13 and ran for city council at 21. Rosenvinge was elected at 23 in 2017, receiving about 1,600 votes in her first election. In the next local election (2021), although the Social Democrats’ vote share dropped by about 10 percentage points compared to the previous election, Rosenvinge received about 1,000 more votes and was re-elected.

At 29, Rosenvinge is one of the oldest members of the Copenhagen city council, where the average age is 33. She said, "Good friends from the youth party volunteered to help with the campaign," adding, "Although some people are tired of politicians, there are more young people who respect them."

There is distrust of the older generation, generational gaps, and gender discrimination even in Denmark. Rosenvinge was targeted early in her political career as a woman in her 20s. She recalled, "Before I even considered running (for city council), an old man called me 'a bad person for democracy' and advised me to 'get a job, have children, and find a husband.'" She responded, "Sorry, but we live in a representative democracy where everyone must be represented, so I really disagree with what you said." The two later met at Folkemøde, Denmark’s largest political event, continued their debate, and reconciled by taking a photo together for Facebook.

While serving her term on the city council last year, Rosenvinge also studied political science at university. As a member of the Children and Youth Committee, she focuses on housing and urban development policies. She actively represents people with disabilities and sexual minorities. She added, "The ultimate goal is always to represent the voices of minorities, socially vulnerable groups, youth, and children."