New Year addresses since 1940

The Prime Minister’s Office receives a large number of enquiries every year about the Prime Minister’s New Year address. Therefore, on this page you will find some information about the history behind the New Year addresses, and you may listen to and see all the old New Year addresses.

A tradition has developed in Denmark that the Prime Minister, in connection with the New Year, gives a New Year address which is transmitted by radio and television.

It was Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning who gave the very first New Year address in 1940. No addresses were given in the following years, and not until 1946 did it become a permanent task for the Prime Minister to deliver a New Year address.

Until 1959, the speeches were only transmitted by radio. From 1961 (in 1960 there was no New Year address due to illness) the speeches were transmitted both by radio and television.

Until now, Danish Prime Ministers have delivered New Year addresses every year except in 1968, 1972, 1975 and 1984. In 1968, 1975 and 1984 this was due to the so-called “ban on political programmes” prior to a parliamentary election, while in 1972 the New Year address was replaced by a New Year dialogue.

On the Danish homepage, you will find all the New Year addresses made available in the media in which they were originally recorded. From 1940 to 1959, the addresses are available in audio versions, while the addresses from 1961 until today can be seen as a television broadcast.

Unfortunately, the media versions are only available in Danish. Regarding recent years, you will find New Year Addresses in English under Speeches.