Russian Threat Looms Over Denmark's Democracy Festival

The warm scent of smoked fish and tangy rye bread drifted through the crowd as Denmark's crisis minister, Torsten Schack Pedersen, tied on a long apron and stepped behind a pop-up kitchen counter in Allinge on the Danish island of Bornholm. With his sleeves rolled up, he reached for tins of peppered kippers — his personal favorite, he eagerly admitted — and began crafting his take on a smørrebrød, Denmark's beloved open-faced sandwich. But the point wasn't just to showcase his culinary skills. Pedersen was demonstrating how to make a tasty meal using the shelf-stable ingredients every Dane is now advised to stockpile in case of a national emergency such as a power blackout or military engagement.
The moment captured the mood — festive but shadowed by security concerns — underpinning this year's Folkemødet, Denmark's annual democracy festival on Bornholm, also known as 'sunshine island.' Each year, the Baltic outpost attracts tens of thousands of people to mingle with politicians, diplomats and business leaders, often seen here in sneakers and shades, beer in hand, chatting with regular folks. The atmosphere is like a street fair complete with DJ battles, policy quizzes and grilled sausages.

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The warm scent of smoked fish and tangy rye bread drifted through the crowd as Denmark's crisis minister, Torsten Schack Pedersen, tied on a long apron and stepped behind a pop-up kitchen counter in Allinge on the Danish island of Bornholm. With his sleeves rolled up, he reached for tins of peppered kippers — his personal favorite, he eagerly admitted — and began crafting his take on a smørrebrød, Denmark's beloved open-faced sandwich. But the point wasn't just to showcase his culinary skills. Pedersen was demonstrating how to make a tasty meal using the shelf-stable ingredients every Dane is now advised to stockpile in case of a national emergency such as a power blackout or military engagement. The moment captured the mood — festive but shadowed by security concerns — underpinning this year's Folkemødet, Denmark's annual democracy festival on Bornholm, also known as 'sunshine island.' Each year, the Baltic outpost attracts tens of thousands of people to mingle with politicians, diplomats and business leaders, often seen here in sneakers and shades, beer in hand, chatting with regular folks. The atmosphere is like a street fair complete with DJ battles, policy quizzes and grilled sausages.

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