The Wellbeing Society – The Next Step for the Welfare State
Welfare should not be measured by budgets but by how people thrive. In this platform for the 2025 local election, The Alternative Aarhus presents a vision for transforming the welfare state into a wellbeing society — where care, trust, and time for one another are the foundation of daily life.
The goal is not more welfare bureaucracy, but a system that truly serves human flourishing: giving children freedom to grow, adults time to live, and seniors dignity and purpose.
The platform focuses on five key priorities with concrete actions towards 2030:
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A Good Start in Life – more trained educators, smaller and more local childcare institutions, free healthy school meals, and daily access to nature for all children.
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Freedom to Shape One’s Own Life – a 30-hour work week without pay cuts, stronger civil society partnerships, and the right to live an analogue life free from digital pressure.
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Healing Before Control – expanding the “Open Dialogue” approach in mental health and establishing warm, low-threshold community spaces for people struggling with loneliness or stress.
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An Active and Dignified Elder Life – introducing an unconditional basic income from age 60 and supporting intergenerational entrepreneurship.
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A Caring and Trust-Based Municipality – simplifying bureaucracy, reducing case backlogs, ensuring accessibility for all, and training leaders and staff in relational and sustainable wellbeing.
The purpose of welfare is wellbeing — not growth.
Let’s build a city where care, trust, and time for each other define public life.
👉 Read the full proposal in Danish here.