(June 11, 2020) On June 2, 2020, the Danish Parliament announced that, as of the same day, it would return to pre-pandemic voting procedures in which members of Parliament (MPs) are all expected to vote together in the Parliament building. On March 12, 2020, the Parliament had decided to limit the number of persons allowed to vote to 95 MPs through a clearingaftale, meaning an agreement between the political parties limiting the number of their members allowed to vote to ensure that the current political representation balance was maintained. Article 50 of the Danish Constitution mandates that at least 90 MPS must always be present to meet the quorum to vote. During this time, Danish MPs voted in groups of six or seven members to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Some temporary COVID-19 measures remain in effect, however. For example, MPs will not be seated in their usual seats and will vote by standing up to indicate a yes, no, or present vote. They must also maintain a distance of one meter (about three feet) away from each other at all times.
Other Rules for Parliament
Guided tours of the Danish Parliament remain cancelled until further notice. Parliament has previously cancelled larger events, such as the annual Citizenship Day when new citizens are celebrated. Moreover, on March 10, 2020, the Parliament closed its doors to all outside visitors, originally until April 3, but these rules were extended twice, first until May 3, 2020 and then again until May 10, 2020. Media were allowed back into Parliament on May 20, 2020, but are subject to social distancing rules.
As of June 10, 2020, Denmark had reported 12,016 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 593 fatalities. As of the same date, 10,904 had been reported as having recovered.