In June 2005, the Danish parliament passed a new law on decentralization, the Law on Regions. The law, which will come into effect in 2007, abolishes a number of administrative districts and establishes five large administrative regions. The aim of the law is, among others, to improve the implementation of subsidiarity in Denmark. The new law was preceded by heated political debates, not least the argument that subsidiarity would seem to be more effective in smaller regions rather than the five large regions proposed. The new region of Southern Denmark, which is home to the German minority in Denmark, has caused particular concern among the German minority as it will decrease the number of posts available to the minority. Elections will take place in November 2005.

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