Most Danish kids live with both parents – and other news in CNE’s podcast
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NewsRound Europe is CNE’s news podcast. It has a bulletin with some remarkable news topics from the European continent. At the end, we have a question-and-answer session with a colleague about an article.
Most Danish kids live with both their parents
Three out of four Danish children grow up with both parents. The nuclear family (of father, mother, and children) is the most common in Denmark. Research shows that young people still dream of having a nuclear family, even though divorces remain common. But amid divorces and other challenges, the nuclear family is very stable.
In 2024, 74 per cent of children under 18 lived with both the father and mother, according to official Danish statistics. Only 16 per cent lived with a single mother.
The core family creates a sense of community in society, with researchers emphasising the importance of stable families for children’s well-being. However, other family forms are also common in Denmark, and there is growing acceptance of different family models. Above this, the nuclear family in Denmark is also a working family; the father as breadwinner has disappeared.
While the nuclear family remains the ideal for many, changes in gender roles and parental leave policies are promoting new forms of family lifestyles.
Overall, the nuclear family continues to play an essential role in Danish society, even as other family types gain visibility. It is known that children from complete families have better chances in life.
This is reported in a series about the family in the Danish Christian newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad.
Dutch against ban on conversion therapy
Three out of four Dutch people oppose a ban on what is broadly called conversion therapy. This means a law that makes it illegal to help someone with gender dysphoria or to encourage acceptance of their biological sex.
The Dutch parliament is debating a bill on conversion therapy this week.
A study commissioned by the Dutch Association of Patients (NPV) found that 75 per cent of people in the Netherlands had never heard of the proposed law. 71 per cent believe it should not be illegal to address a transgender person by the pronouns that fit with the biological sex, while 70 per cent think gender dysphoria should not be considered a psychiatric condition.
Many people expressed concerns that the law would violate personal freedoms, including freedom of speech and religion. Some worry it could lead to unnecessary lawsuits and increased societal division. In contrast, others argue it would protect the rights of people with gender or sexual identity issues.
The law remains controversial, with most people feeling it oversteps personal freedoms.
Also in the UK, scepticism over trans rights is growing.
Germany does not vote about abortion before elections
The German parliament will not vote about the abortion liberalisation before the elections. The elections for the Bundestag are coming Sunday. The Christian Democratic Union parties and the Liberal FDP blocked a session of the legal committee about this topic. By doing this, any progress on the bill is prevented.
The plan was to scrap the abortion from the German Penal Code, making it more a health issue than a legal issue or criminal offence. Pro-life Christians strongly criticised the draft, as also experts did.
Several legal scholars argued that the proposal was based on incorrect assumptions and conflicts with Germany’s constitutional principles. They also stated that it would weaken legal protections for unborn children.
The reform suggests that the law should be more in line with international standards. Still, critics argue that international recommendations do not bind national law. Some experts also noted that the existing legal framework is sufficient and that recent studies show no decline in the availability or safety of abortion services.
The proposed changes were seen as unnecessary, with many experts affirming that the current laws already balance women’s rights and the protection of unborn life.
Does this Polish museum sell child pornography?
Poland’s opposition party, Law and Justice (PiS), has reported Warsaw’s Museum of Modern Art (MSN) to prosecutors, accusing it of displaying child pornography.
The controversy stems from the graphic novel Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe (KOH-babe), which was sold in the museum’s shop.
The PiS claims the book depicts sexual content involving a child, which they say is illegal and immoral. The same book has recently led to parliamentary questions in Norway, too.
The book, about Kobabe’s journey with gender identity and sexuality, includes adult themes. Still, the PiS argues it should not be accessible to children in a shop.
The museum denies the accusations, stating that only one copy was sold and not placed in the children’s section. The book’s publisher recommends it for readers over 16.
This controversy is part of ongoing debates in Poland, where LGBT issues and gender rights remain contentious, with the conservative PiS opposing those ideologies.
Slovak Prime Minister follows the example set by Donald Trump
Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico had proposed that the country recognises only two sexes: male and female. He has tabled amendments to the country’s constitution limiting LGBT rights and ‘restoring common sense.’
The proposals put forward last week would give the constitution primacy over EU law on cultural and ethical issues, which Fico said was motivated by “traditions and the cultural and spiritual legacy of our ancestors.”
“The Slovak Republic recognises only two sexes,” the proposal reads. “Sex can only be changed for serious reasons. Details will be set out in a law.”
The proposal also seeks to rule out adoption by gay couples. “We have to restore common sense,” Fico said.
Fico is not the first Slovak government representative who points in the conservative direction. Slovakia’s culture minister recently said she would restrict funding for pro-LGBT organisations.
An LGBT rights advocate said Fico’s proposal “excludes Slovakia from the EU” and is an attempt to distract attention from the prime minister’s political woes.
Protests have gripped Slovakia in recent weeks following a visit by Fico to Moscow.
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