Spectator: Danish Prime Minister urges fellow citizens to "spiritual rearmament"
In Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called for "spiritual rearmament," Spectator writes. Her words reflect the crisis of post-Christian Europe: rights and comfort do not inspire sacrifice, and without sacred values, society will have nothing to defend itself with, the author emphasizes.
Iben Thranholm
Something unusual is happening in Denmark, and other European countries, including the UK, should pay attention to this. This spring, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen addressed a group of university students and made a remarkable statement: "We will need rearmament that is no less important than the military. It's about spiritual rearmament."
Few people expected such words from the leader of the Social Democratic Party, which for most of the 20th century sought to reduce the influence of the Danish Church on society. However, the Prime Minister's words are not accidental. Just a few days earlier, Frederiksen had announced a significant military buildup: increased conscription, a sharp increase in defense spending, and increased strategic readiness. Like the rest of Europe and NATO, Denmark is preparing for a more dangerous situation in the world.
Nevertheless, there is a deeper problem that Frederiksen decided to mention, which is unusual for a Western leader. Many young Danes don't want to fight. Some openly admit that they are not ready to die for Denmark — neither for democracy, nor for the flag, and certainly not for a modern welfare state that promises everything but inspires nothing.
This crisis is not unique to Denmark. It affects all post-Christian societies and raises an issue that Britain must also face.: what unites people when the systems they trusted start to fail?
Denmark is one of the most secular countries in the world. Although the church still exists according to the law, it plays a minor role in the daily lives of most citizens. Religion is considered as a personal matter. Over the generations, the state has imperceptibly assumed the traditional responsibilities of the church: caring for the poor, moral education, rites of passage, and community organization. Now the country's prime minister wants to regain the influence of the church. In an interview with the Christian newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad, Frederiksen went even further, calling on the Danish Church to act not just as a cultural institution, but also as an important part of the life of the people.
"I believe that people will increasingly turn to the Church," she said, "because it offers normal communication and forms the foundation of the nation... The Church has helped people through many crises. I believe that the Church will understand that it is absolutely necessary in our times."
Then a phrase was uttered that ten years ago would have been unthinkable for the Danish Prime Minister and chairman of the Social Democratic Party.: "If I were the representatives of the church, I would think about how it can become a spiritual and physical support for the Danes in these difficult times."
This is not religious romanticism, but political realism. This is a recognition that rights, services, and social protection cannot shape society on their own. People are not ready to suffer for the sake of tax schemes. They will not risk their lives for the sake of a democratic regime, but they will fight for what they consider sacred.
Denmark is beginning to realize what many Western countries have yet to understand: a system built on comfort, rights, and personal freedom offers nothing to defend when times are tough. Such times return to Europe, bringing with them conflicts, threats and victims.
The UK is in a similar situation. The number of new recruits in the army is decreasing. Political leaders talk about new global threats and increased defense spending, but they don't mention faith, the meaning of life, or spiritual courage. It seems that no one is ready to ask the main question: is there anything left in Europe that people would be willing to die for? This is the real crisis.
The crisis of the secular state is becoming apparent in Denmark. Rights and freedoms, no matter how necessary and noble they may be, do not exist in a vacuum. They are the fruit of a deeper spiritual worldview, which consists in faith in higher powers, in religion, and in a common understanding of truth and goodness. A tree cut off from these roots will not stand. If necessary, there is no one who would be willing to make sacrifices.
That's why Frederiksen's words are so important. They do not necessarily mean a return to personal faith, but they are a recognition that faith itself is necessary. No civilization can survive, much less defend itself, without sacred values at its core.
Religious symbols such as cathedrals, bishops, and solemn services are still preserved in the UK. However, without faith, these symbols will be museum exhibits and objects of nostalgia, not sources of power. After all, the question facing every Western democracy is not how to govern, but why it exists at all.
The call for "spiritual rearmament" came from the mouth of the Danish Prime Minister. This suggests that the crisis of meaning has finally reached the most rational corners of bureaucratic and post-religious European politics. People who have replaced the church with a welfare state feel insecure and unstable.
