Birgitte Josefsen

The Danish Parliament - Folketinget

The Danish Parliament consists of 179 Members, of whom two are elected in Greenland and two in the Faroes. The maximum electoral period is four years. Danish citizens 18 years of age and above who are resident in Denmark have the right to vote. According to the Constitutional Act, the Parliament has four tasks: • to pass laws, • to control the Government, • to approve the state's budget via the annual Finance Bill and • to take part in international cooperation. The most familiar and binding cooperation is EU cooperation. The Parliament also cooperates with other parliaments and with interparliamentary assemblies such as the UN, NATO and the Nordic Council. The Danish Parliament is headed by the Speaker and the Presidium. THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE DANISH PARLIAMENT The Administration helps to further the aims of democracy. We make sure that the 179 Members have the best possible working conditions. Among other things, the Administration: • provides services for the Presidium, the management and committees, • provides documentation of and information on legislative work, • provides security and service, • provides teaching, communication initiatives and campaigns, • is responsible for building maintenance and renovation, • is responsible for salaries, finances and personnel matters, • is responsible for operating and developing IT systems, the TV channel, websites and the use of social media and • is responsible for providing information on Parliament and the EU. The Administration is headed by the Secretary-General, two Deputy Secretaries-General and a number of departmental managers. The Administration appoints independent employees from many different backgrounds. We think holistically in a project and service-oriented manner to develop an increasingly efficient and professional framework for democracy. The Administration employs approximately 430 people whose average age is about 45.5 years (2014).