On June 5 the Kingdom of Denmark celebrated its national holiday - the Constitution Day. On this date 176 years ago,

the Danish Constitution was adopted. On this occasion H. E. Mr. Flemming Stender, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Denmark to the Republic of Bulgaria, gave a reception at their residence in Boyana. The event was attended by high-ranking guests, partners, and friends of Denmark.

For H. E. Mr. Flemming Stender it is the first national day reception he organized in Bulgaria after the presentation of his credentials on October 7, 2024.

In his welcome speech to the guests, he shared that he was pleased to see so many friends of Denmark at his residence and stated:

Today we mark 176 years since the Danish constitution was signed in 1849. On this day, we celebrate the birth of our democracy – a system built on civil rights, representative government, and the rule of law. While the Constitution has been revised several times since, it remains a steadfast symbol of our values - freedom, equality, tolerance, and justice.

It´s the day that reminds us never to take democracy and our fundamental rights for granted. Remind us that democracy is a shared responsibility, constantly in need of protection and renewal. Today is also a celebration of the precious gift of independence and freedom.

Across Denmark, Constitution Day is marked with flag-raising ceremonies, speeches, music, and festivities for all ages. It is a joyful public holiday – a break from school, work and other duties - where Danes comes together with families and friends for a moment of "hygge". Just like we do here in this garden.

Later in his speech, His Excellency shared that he greatly enjoys his first year in Bulgaria, expressing how impressed he is by the beauty of the country and the warmth and hospitality of the Bulgarian people. He said he has begun to learn about Bulgarian customs and traditions and enjoys hiking in the mountains. "I feel very fortunately to live here at the foot of Mount Vitosha", he said. He also mentioned that he has started learning the Bulgarian language, though so far, according to him, his progress has been modest.

E. Mr. Flemming Stender emphasized:

For Denmark, 2025 is a particular intense and exciting year. We call it a "Diplomatic Super Year".

From January, Denmark has taken its seat as elected member of the UN Security Council for the next two years.

We also chair the Nordic-Baltic regional cooperation this year - the so-called NB8.

From May, together with Greenland and the Faroe Islands, the Kingdom of Denmark is chairing the Arctic Council for the next two years.

And of course, from July, Denmark will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second half of the year.

Yes, it´s quite a lot! A true diplomatic super year. But we are fully committed to these responsibilities, eager to contribute, and determined to play a constructive role.

These responsibilities come at a time when the world faces existential challenges and the global community is increasingly fragmented and divided.

His Excellency emphasized that "Denmark is among the biggest donors to Ukraine", that he is especially grateful for the close cooperation between Denmark and Bulgaria in supporting Ukraine, and that his country has committed to defense spending that "will exceed 3% of GDP in 2025 and 2026, with a clear determination to do even more."

E. Mr. Flemming Stender shared that during his stay in Bulgaria, he has witnessed important developments for the country. Bulgaria has become a full member of the Schengen Area – "a historic achievement that benefits business, tourism, as well as the many Danish companies and visitors.He also noted Bulgaria’s significant progress toward joining the Eurozone, recently confirmed by the positive convergence report. He observed a strengthening of trade and economic relations, with an increasing number of Danish companies active in Bulgaria.

Later in his speech, he spoke about the upcoming Danish presidency of the European Union, which begins in just 25 days.

As a part of the preparations, the Danish minister for European Affairs, Ms. Marie Bjerre, visited Bulgaria a few weeks ago to gain deeper insights into Bulgaria´s priorities and positions. Her visit also underlined our strong mutual interest in strengthening the already excellent bilateral ties – in areas such as green transition, energy, digitalization, and defense.

During our EU Presidency, the embassy will give priority to engage in dialogue with the youth. Both myself and my deputy Sara have already made a head start touring Bulgaria to meet young students and speak about European cooperation, and Denmark´s journey within the EU since we joined more than 50 years ago in 1973. We look forward to further dialogue with youth and students during our Presidency.

We’re also proud of the embassy´s close cooperation with the Scandinavian language Institute at Sofia university where we are lucky to have so many young and talented Bulgarian students interested in learning the Danish language and culture. Even though Danish is admittedly not the easiest language to learn.

As a small embassy team, we approach the coming months with great anticipation and excitement, and yes, a little bit of nervousness, but we are committed, and – almost - ready. Most importantly, we know we can count on the support of all of our partners, all of you here.

At the end of his speech, he thanked the sponsors of the event and the guests who came to honor Denmark’s Constitution Day. He expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome he has received in Bulgaria and thanked all partners, friends, and colleagues for their ongoing support, excellent cooperation, and friendship in strengthening Bulgarian-Danish relations.

A toast to Bulgaria and Denmark followed, after which the guests engaged in lively conversations in the pleasant coolness of the residence garden. Everyone also enjoyed the delicious culinary specialties prepared especially for the occasion.

The pictures were provided by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Above: H. E. Mr. Flemming Stender, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Denmark in our country