Aarhus Mayor Anders Winnerskjold (S) has stated that the Social Democratic proposal to eliminate parental payments for daycare is unrealistic for Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest municipality. He emphasized the financial disparities between Aarhus and Copenhagen, where the proposal originated.

Winnerskjold acknowledged the merit of discussing tariff reductions and expressed hope for national consideration of the issue. However, he stressed that Aarhus lacks the financial capacity to implement such a program currently. He indicated that if Aarhus had the same resources as Copenhagen, free daycare would not be his top priority.

Winnerskjold highlighted more pressing needs in Aarhus, including ensuring minimum staffing levels, strengthening leadership, and increasing staff in nursing homes. He believes Copenhagen’s strong economy allows them to pursue multiple initiatives simultaneously. While he understands and agrees with the principle of the Copenhagen proposal, recognizing the challenges faced by families with children, he reiterated that Aarhus cannot replicate it.

The proposal, championed by Copenhagen’s Social Democratic mayoral candidate Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, aims to abolish user fees in nurseries and kindergartens at an estimated annual cost of 800 million kroner. Rosenkrantz-Theil suggests quadrupling fines for companies not meeting obligations and reducing administrative costs to fund the initiative.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) has described the Copenhagen proposal as “sympathetic.” Winnerskjold believes the proposal is feasible in Copenhagen due to its strong economy and the mayor’s ability to implement such changes effectively. He assumed the position of mayor of Aarhus Municipality following Jacob Bundsgaard’s departure in late 2024 and has been a member of the city council since 2017.