Denmark between liberalismand nationalism
Per Mouritsen and Tore Vincents Olsen
(First submission June 2010; First published September 2011)
Abstract
What explains the restrictive turn towards immigrants in Europeancountries like Denmark? Are countries returning to nationalism, or arethey following a general European trend towards a perfectionist, even‘repressive’ liberalism that seeks to create ‘liberal people’ out of immigrants? Recent developments in Danish policies of integration andcitizenship, education and anti-discrimination suggest a combination of these two diagnoses. The current Danish ‘integration philosophy’ leavesbehind a previous concern with private choice and equal rights andopportunities to emphasize other historical elements, especially the dutyto participate in upholding democracy and the egalitarian welfarecommunity, and to promote autonomous and secular ways of life.However, the virtues of this ‘egalitarian republicanism’ are seen byright-of-centre intellectuals and politicians as rooted in a wider Christiannational culture that immigrants must acquire in order to become fullcitizens
