Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has lauded the significant economic contributions of foreign workers in Denmark, while simultaneously criticizing the increasingly harsh rhetoric surrounding the immigration debate. Speaking at the People’s Meeting, Rasmussen highlighted that foreign labor contributed 361 billion kroner to the nation’s GDP last year, according to figures from the Danish Chamber of Commerce.

Rasmussen expressed concern over the re-emergence of what he described as a “harsh tone and black-and-white arguments” in the immigration discussion. He noted an increasing focus on factors such as numbers, origin, and religion in the debate, which he views as detrimental.

Political commentator Bent Winther interprets Rasmussen’s remarks as a direct challenge to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and the Social Democrats. Winther suggests that Rasmussen’s speech underscored the internal disagreements within the coalition government regarding foreign labor policies.

The comments come as the government is formulating proposals to attract more non-EU labor. Rasmussen’s emphasis on the benefits of foreign labor contrasts with perceived skepticism from the Social Democrats. Winther anticipates continued debate among the coalition partners regarding the extent to which labor policies should be relaxed, potentially signaling an upcoming election campaign.