Feature Article: Strengthen the Folketing’s Role in Security Policy

Amongst the points of the Taksøe-report counts an increased involvement of the Danish Parliament when developing Denmark’s future foreign and security policy.

In a feature article published in today’s issue of Berlingske, director of Centre for Military Studies Henrik Breitenbach and deputy director Kristian Søby Kristensen, commenting on the report, conclude that:

“…talk and show of hands does [not] suffice. A stronger debate on foreign and security policy requires a stronger parliament. If the parliamentary institutions are strengthened, it can contribute to building an identity amongst the members as parliamentarians rather than party soldiers.”

In the feature, Breitenbauch and Søby Kristensen specifically suggest three amendments, which could strengthen the institutions in the way mentioned.

Amongst these counts the foundation of “an analytical capacity anchored in the Folketing [which] will strengthen the members’ opportunity to acquire independent knowledge”; a reorganization of the current standing committees in parliament with the aim of increasing the parliamentarians’ “opportunities to understand a political problem across sectors and committees”; and finally, as mentioned in the above, to strengthen the Folketing’s parliamentary identity in order to enhance the member’s understanding of themselves as parliamentarians rather than party soldiers.