Defense Minister is open to higher salaries for soldiers

Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen (V) is open to increasing pay for employees in the Defense sector.

He says this in an interview with Berlingske.

"There are some framework conditions we are obliged to adhere to. So yes, I am open to giving more money to soldiers in pay," he tells the newspaper.

He does not specify which employee groups in the Defense sector will receive more pay. That he will "work out a bit later," he tells Berlingske.

So far, the message from the minister has been that he would wait for an analysis from a working group set up by the parties behind the defense agreement before entering into a discussion about soldiers' pay.

The analysis, which is expected to uncover and analyze employment conditions for military employees, is expected to be completed in the fall.

The pay analysis will still be discussed once it is complete. In the same context, one will look generally at the conditions for the Defense's employees, says Troels Lund Poulsen to Berlingske.

In front of the newspaper, the minister acknowledges that he has been "a bit slow" when it comes to a discussion about soldiers' pay.

Several parties have previously stated that they support a pay raise for soldiers.

This includes the Socialist People's Party, the Denmark Democrats, and The Conservatives.

Back in April, the Liberal Alliance's defense spokesperson Carsten Bach said they were ready to raise soldiers' pay quickly, and that they did not need to wait until the fall.

"I certainly think, without a careful analysis, we can make a political decision to increase the wage for the skilled constables," he said at the time.

In the government, both the Social Democrats and the Moderates have also been open to discussing higher wages in the Defense sector.

According to DR, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) said back in the spring that she was open to discussing soldiers' pay when money from the defense agreement is to be distributed.

The Moderates have also declared themselves open to creating a pay pool for soldiers.

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