Is Easter Sunday on its way back? Even the Social Democrats are now open to it.

The government’s coalition of Social Democrats, Venstre, and Moderates has faced its sharpest decline yet, with the abolition of **Great Prayer Day** (Store Bededag) as a public holiday sparking unprecedented public backlash.

The decision, one of the coalition’s first moves, provoked such strong opposition that it contributed to an unusually poor start for the government. Protests filled the streets, political opponents thundered against the measure, and the ruling parties plummeted in opinion polls.

Now, as the election period draws to a close, the Social Democrats appear open to reconsidering the decision. Today, the Socialist People’s Party (SF) announced that reinstating **Great Prayer Day** as a public holiday would be a key demand in negotiations for a new government after the next election.

While this demand is not yet final, it will be a significant point for SF in the upcoming coalition talks.

Though the Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, were instrumental in scrapping the holiday, the party has now signaled a willingness to bring it back.

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**Not ruling it out**

The opening came as Finance Minister Nicolai Wammen presented a new collective bargaining agreement for state employees and was asked about SF’s demand.

After noting that it is unsurprising for all parties to start making demands as an election approaches, he made it clear that the Social Democrats would listen to proposals from any party involved in coalition negotiations following the next election—including those on **Great Prayer Day**.

“I’m not here to outright reject SF’s proposal,” he said, emphasizing that he is “open to” discussing it.

This marks a shift for the Social Democrats, who had firmly defended the abolition as necessary. As recently as last summer, when the Finance Ministry revealed that Denmark’s economy was performing even better than expected, Wammen dismissed calls to reinstate the holiday.

“Abolishing **Great Prayer Day** adds three billion kroner annually,” he stated. “But even more importantly, it provides 8,500 extra pairs of hands that our welfare state and businesses desperately need.”

“So this doesn’t change our decision on **Great Prayer Day**,” he concluded at the time.

Nicolai Wammen (S) and Pia Olsen Dyhr (SF) during the closing debate before the summer recess in the Folketing in 2024. *(Photo: © Ida Marie Odgaard, Ritzau Scanpix)*

The other two current coalition parties remain more skeptical—though not entirely dismissive.

Venstre’s economic spokesperson, Stephanie Lose, argues that SF has not grasped the severity of the situation. Denmark needs the funds for military upgrades and the additional workforce generated by eliminating the holiday.

“These are major societal challenges that any responsible party must address,” reads a written statement.

However, Venstre’s opposition is not absolute.

“The abolition of **Great Prayer Day** was not an end in itself for Venstre,” the party clarifies, “but a means to secure financing and more working hours for our welfare system and Danish businesses. We are certainly not inflexible. But the entire strategy must be clear: what measures will deliver three billion annually and a substantial number of working hours instead? It’s concerning that SF won’t answer that.”

The Moderates are harder to pin down. Earlier today, the party’s political leader, Mohammad Rona, rejected the proposal in an interview with *BT*, arguing that it would make life more expensive for Danes.

But since then, the party seems to have reconsidered its stance. Speaking on behalf of the Moderates to *Ekstra Bladet*, Folketing member Rasmus Lund-Nielsen refused to dismiss the idea outright.

“We do not ultimately reject the reinstatement of **Great Prayer Day**,” he told the newspaper, “but there are other priorities, such as improving the competitiveness of businesses, lowering labor taxes, and introducing part-time pensions.”

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**Blue parties also want the holiday back**

According to the Finance Ministry, abolishing **Great Prayer Day** as a public holiday has increased employment by 8,500 people annually and generated an extra 3.2 billion kroner in revenue. However, the Economic Council has previously cast doubt on these effects.

The blue opposition parties—Liberal Alliance, the Danish People’s Party, the Conservatives, and the Danish People’s Party—already agreed last year that if they gain power after the next election, they would reinstate **Great Prayer Day** as one of their first acts.

As a result, they welcomed SF’s demand today.

The only party outside the government that voted to abolish **Great Prayer Day** was the Radicals. They had supported the move, arguing that the funds and additional workforce were necessary.

But now, they too are prepared to discuss reinstating the holiday—at least in principle.

“The Radical Left is also open to negotiating the reinstatement of **Great Prayer Day**,” the party states, “but it would require a shared focus on other reforms that could create the necessary workforce and economic flexibility to invest in our children, youth education, and a full green transition of Denmark within five years.”

Whether **Great Prayer Day** will once again become a public holiday remains to be seen. But at the very least, the issue has been placed on the table for the next Folketing election.

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