Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) admitted in Wednesday’s closing debate in the Folketing that she underestimated the public resistance to abolishing Great Prayer Day and that she made a mistake by starting a debate on citizens’ working hours at the wrong time. Frederiksen explained that her intention was to counter the debate on reducing working hours and avoiding the “hamster wheel” mentality, a concept she does not like. “But in reality, I made a mistake. I got caught up in Instagram and the stories of a few who completely opt out of the work life. Because that’s not the general picture,” said the Prime Minister from the rostrum. The abolition of Great Prayer Day is considered by many as a significant reason for the current unpopularity of the government. The government, consisting of the Social Democrats, Venstre, and the Moderates, has faced strong opposition in the aftermath of this decision. “I underestimated the resistance to our proposal to abolish Great Prayer Day,” admitted Frederiksen. The Prime Minister’s previous comments on citizens’ working hours have been controversial. She has criticized a tendency to work less and has clarified that her statements on work ethic were taken out of context. But now she acknowledges her mistake and points out that there are currently historically many people employed in Denmark. “Perhaps I hit the ball wrong. Or was misunderstood. Maybe both. In any case, it was translated to mean that the Danes should work more. And neither the government nor I are asking for that,” she explained. Frederiksen also acknowledged that there may be times when people need to reduce their working hours, for example, when they have young children or in case of illness. However, she stressed that it should still be a virtue to go to work and support oneself.

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