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1. Information providers / counselling structures

2. Youth-targeted information campaigns about democratic rights and democratic values

3. Promoting the intercultural dialogue among young people

4. Promoting transparent and youth-tailored public communication

Information providers / counselling structures

Several public authorities provide information about democratic rights to all people living in Denmark and to young people specifically.

Information for people of all ages:

Borger.dk: The National Agency for Digitalization, Danish Municipalities KL, and Danish Regions provide a portal for citizens in Denmark. Here, citizens can find information on all public services, rights and duties.

In the sub-section ‘Society and Rights’, citizens can read about citizenship, equal status, the electoral system, age of majority and guardianship and how to file a complaint.

Folketinget.dk: On the website of the Danish parliament, people can find information about the Danish parliamentary system and Danish democracy.

Information about democratic rights targeting young people in Denmark

In Denmark, information about democratic rights and avenues for protection is made accessible to children and young people through a combination of educational initiatives, public information platforms and independent complaint and counselling bodies. Denmark currently does not have top-level framework for youth information and counselling structures.

As part of formal education, democratic rights and participation have been addressed through national educational initiatives. In 2018, the Ministry of Children and Education launched the educational campaign Democracy Under Development (Demokrati under udvikling), which provided free teaching materials for use in primary and lower secondary education, general and vocational upper secondary education, and adult education programmes. The campaign aimed to strengthen students’ understanding of democracy, rights and participation within both school life and society.

Beyond the school setting, several national platforms provide rights-based information directly to children and young people. The Children’s Portal (Børneportalen), operated by the National Council for Children (Børnerådet), targets children and young people aged 10–15 and offers accessible information about children’s rights, participation and available support mechanisms. Similarly, The Children’s Telephone (Børnetelefonen), run by the organisation Children’s Welfare (Børns Vilkår), offers counselling via telephone, chat, SMS and written communication. In addition to counselling, the service’s website provides clear information about children’s rights and guidance on how to seek help in situations involving school, family or public authorities.

Denmark also has formal complaint mechanisms that enable children and young people to exercise their rights in practice. The National Complaints Board Against Bullying (Den Nationale Klageinstans mod Mobning) allows children and parents to file complaints when schools or municipal authorities fail to establish or implement effective anti-bullying strategies. Furthermore, the Children’s Section of the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman (Ombudsmandens børnekontor) provides children with the opportunity to submit complaints if public authorities do not comply with applicable rules or if children’s rights have been violated. Through this mechanism, children are informed about their rights in relation to public administration and are supported in holding authorities accountable.

Youth-targeted information campaigns about democratic rights and democratic values

See general information initiatives above.

Denmark currently has no major, large-scale, youth-targeted information campaigns about democratic rights and/or democratic values.

Outreach initiatives targeting first-time voters

In connection with municipal and regional elections, European Parliament elections and general elections, a range of public authorities in Denmark carry out targeted outreach initiatives aimed at first-time voters. These initiatives seek to strengthen awareness of democratic rights and encourage electoral participation among groups that are traditionally underrepresented in elections.

Since 2005, the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) has sent a copy of the Danish Constitution (Grundloven), accompanied by explanatory material, to first-time voters and newly naturalised Danish citizens. The purpose of the initiative is to inform recipients about their democratic rights and obligations as citizens. Since 2013, the material has been supplemented with a humorous cartoon conveying the message “use your right to vote,” with the aim of making the content more accessible and engaging, particularly for younger audiences.

The initiatives primarily target young first-time voters, people with a migrant background, and socially marginalised groups. Outreach activities are typically carried out in the period immediately preceding elections and use a variety of communication channels. These include personalised letters with a copy of the Constitution written in a youthful tone, SMS campaigns, debate meetings at youth education institutions, information campaigns on websites, and short films distributed via platforms such as YouTube.

The initiatives are implemented through cooperation between several actors, including the Danish Parliament, the Ministry of the Interior and Housing, the Ministry of Culture, municipalities and Danish regions. Civil society and media actors also play a role, notably the Danish Youth Council (DUF), the public service broadcasters DR and TV 2, and the Council for Ethnic Minorities (Rådet for Etniske Minoriteter).

Young people’s voter turnout has increased since 2009. In the national election in 2022, the voter turnout was 85.0% for the 18-year age group. 

The Centre for Voting and Parties at the University of Copenhagen has produced several reports on outreach measures and young people’s voter turnout in Denmark and the European Parliament election:

• Report 1: (Mobiliseringstiltag)
• Report 2: (SMS-eksperiment ved valget)
• Report 3 (Mobilising initiatives 2021)

Promoting the intercultural dialogue among young people

See section 4.5 “intercultural awareness”

Promoting transparent and youth-tailored public communication

There is no national guideline for public authorities’ communication with the youth population in order to enhance transparency of their policies and decision-making.

There is no large-scale programme training policymakers in communicating with youth.