Once shied away from by the left, the oldest flag in Europe is seeing a resurgence as a political symbol

As the nation celebrates Valdemar’s Day today, recent trends show that the popularity of the ‘Dannebrog’ as a political symbol is on the rise.

The national flag day commemorates the legendary descent of the Danish flag in 1219 from heaven upon the troops of King Valdemar the Conqueror during the Battle of Lyndaise, in modern-day Estonia.

More than just a national symbol, the Danish flag is an essential decoration at birthdays, Christmas and other festive occasions. But following the rise of the nationalist Danish People’s Party in the 1990s, many in politics, and particularly those on the left wing, sought to disassociate themselves from it as a symbol of the Danish nation.

But that trend, according to Michael Böss, a nationalism expert at the University of Aarhus, is coming to an end.

‘The flag has become a symbol that can unite us,’ ‘Because we use flags on a lot of different occasions, it can be used by the entire nation.’

He cited examples such as Social Democrat MP Mette Frederiksen calling for the Dannnebrog to be ‘taken back’ from the right wing, and members of the centrist Social Liberals bearing Dannebrog lapel pins – most recently during the European election earlier this month.

The increasing interest in the flag, according to Professor Uffe Østergaard, of the Copenhagen Business School, is a sign that ‘nationalism’, has lost its negative tint.

‘Some draw a difference between the slightly negative “nationalism” and the more acceptable “national identity”, but they mean the same – that feelings the nation, if they are kept in check, have a lot of benefits for national cohesion.’

The Danish Society Association, whose goal is to promote respect for the Dannebrog and Danish culture, reports that over the past two years its membership has doubled and now stands at 1000. Members include individuals, associations, companies and a local council.