Recently Den opened a discussion on the efficiency and democratic nature of the institute of monarchy, citing the UK as example. In the article titled “Monarchistic Idea in the 21th Century” it wrote that “for a great part of Brits the crown is not just a historical souvenir, but also an institute, quite efficient and necessary in the world of today.” On the other hand, Den’s author, philosopher Andrii Baumeister adduced arguments for the modernity of monarchy. Now we offer our readers a glimpse into the connection between the past and the present in Denmark, the world’s oldest kingdom.
For Ukraine this country is special due to ancient dynastic ties which Kyivan princes had with Denmark. Ingeborg, daughter of Mstyslav, named her son in honor of her grandfather Volodymyr Monomakh; the boy grew up to become King Valdemar the Great.
Denmark is one of Europe’s oldest states and the world’s most ancient kingdom. The reigning monarch, Queen Margrethe II, crowned in April 1972, represents Europe’s most ancient monarchy dating back to 900 A.D., the times of the Viking king Gorm. The queen is very popular among the Danes and the guests of that country, and at major royal holidays thousands gather in the square opposite the Amalienborg Palace to salute the queen and her family with national flags.
In that country, like in the UK, the queen is the head of state, while the government is formed by the parliament, the Folketing. Denmark has a unicameral parliament; the members are elected proportionally, although each MP represents a constituency as well. Four out of the 179 members of parliament are elected from Greenland and the Faroe Islands. In general, Denmark has a minority government (it has no parliamentary majority), which means that in Denmark policy is based on compromise among different political parties. In case the Folketing votes “no confidence” for the government, the latter must be dissolved or hold an election.
Danes, like the majority of Scandinavians, are liberally-minded, and this worldview is reflected in the country’s political and social order. Denmark’s post-war development was based on an agreement which allowed the country to preserve its best achievements while keeping to the standards of a contemporary democracy. Such a development resulted in a merge of monarchy, democracy, and market economy, underpinned by one of the world’s best welfare systems.
The Day asked Mykhailo SKURATOVSKYI, former Ambassador of Ukraine to Denmark, to explain how that country combines monarchy with democracy and ensures the continuity between the past and the present.
“IN DENMARK MONARCHY CAN PEACEFULLY COEXIST WITH ANY DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM”
“For Danes, monarchy is a cherished tradition, which they take a lot of pride in. I have worked in Denmark for four years as an ambassador, and had multiple opportunities to meet with the queen self and virtually with all the members of the royal family, including Prince Consort, Crown Prince, other princes and their wives. The only requirement put forward to all who meets them is to try and avoid discussing any political issues and expressing wishes of any kind, since all these questions are the prerogative of the government and parliament. The only other peculiarity is that all the decisions which are passed by the executive and legislative branches of power must be endorsed by the queen. She can express her wishes, but she does it in such a way as to keep the public out and create the impression that all policies are the result of a joint political will.
“The royal family are very active in humanitarian sphere. I have organized the visit of Crown Prince Frederick to Kyiv in 2011. He formally opened the Ukrainian-Danish business forum, and later visited an army aviation unit in Melitopol, which is engaged in large volume shipping in Greenland. Danes are very grateful for this, and his visit was a gesture of good will. As many Dutch companies are based in Lviv, Crown Prince visited it as well in order to meet Danish businessmen. However, he did not conduct any political negotiations.
“After presenting my credentials to Queen Margrethe II, I had a social conversation with her majesty and her husband. Danes are quite happy with what the queen does, and they never criticize her. On the other hand, the royal family are trying to behave in such a way as to avoid any possible reprimands. They are very democratic.
PRINCESS MARY, CROWN PRINCE FREDERICK, QUEEN MARGRETHE, PRINCE CONSORT HENRIK, PRINCE JOACHIM, AND PRINCESS MARIE GREET THE PUBLIC FROM THE BALCONY ON APRIL 16, 2016, THE QUEEN’S 76th BIRTHDAY / REUTERS photo
“The spouses of both princes, Joachim and Frederick, are not Danish. One princess comes from Australia and the other from France, and they do not have a royal background. It is very democratic and probably helps the members of the royal family to cherish and strengthen popular love. Indeed, due to this Danes can be proud of their ancient tradition.
“I do not think that Danes would need more money to support this institute if they had no monarchy. There are age-old patterns according to which everything is done. Besides, they never have any issues about financing the royal family.
“Just like in the UK, in Denmark you can pay to visit several royal palaces, and this is another manner for Danes to make money. Attending some official events, the queen and princesses wear jewelry that belongs to state. By the way, at a permanently open museum at Rosenborg Castle visitors can get acquainted with the details of the royals’ everyday life in the 17th-18th centuries, while one part of the castle is the museum of crown jewels and royal regalia. When the queen needs jewelry to wear, she borrows it from this depositary.
“When it comes to monarchies being obsolete or modern, it is up to each nation to decide what it needs. If a nation considers this institute a tradition which preserves its individuality, of course it has a right to keep that institute. It goes without saying that only citizens must decide what they need and in which direction they must move further.
“Since Danes have very warm feelings for this institute, I believe that Denmark and other monarchies have all rights to preserve this order. It is a matter of choice. Any attempts to claim that monarchy is archaic and unnecessary reflect subjective views. It is always the nation that decides its fate, and in this respect that is how Danes think about it.
“As for Ukraine and a possible restoration of, let’s say, hetmanate, this would take a good deal of thorough thinking and consideration of all pros and cons. Even though our people are more inclined towards democratic norms, frankly speaking, it is hard to find more democracy in any other country than Denmark. This is a place where even such an institute as monarchy can peacefully coexist with any democratic system and lead one of the most democratic societies on our planet.”
