The Femern construction was supposed to be a prestige project that would significantly connect Denmark and Germany. Instead, it has developed into a conflict that has moved far beyond the usual in a state construction project.
The case has ended in a situation where a foreign ambassador unsuccessfully tries to get a meeting with the Minister of Transport, while the Ministry of Transport's top official subsequently goes into open conflict with the main contractor. Overall, according to administrative law expert Frederik Waage, this raises serious questions about the management of Denmark's largest construction project.
He is concerned about the process surrounding the Femern Belt construction and the cooperation that is unfolding between the Ministry of Transport, Sund & Bælt, and the main contractor Femern Link Contractors, led by the French company Vinci Construction.
- It is an unusual process, and one must openly ask whether there is control over the construction when the parties have this level of conflict. I think the minister should explain this, says Frederik Waage, professor of law at the University of Southern Denmark.
Transport spokesperson in SF Mads Olsen will inquire why the French ambassador was rejected.
- It looks strange from the outside, which is why I will also ask for an explanation from the minister at the next settlement meeting, he says.
At the same time, he emphasises that the issue extends beyond the specific disputes over schedules and finances and also concerns Denmark's relations with the foreign actors in the project.
- It is important that the construction project is under control and that we have a good relationship with our foreign partners, especially in the geopolitical times we are in, says Mads Olsen.
Claim of 14.5 billion DKK
The Fehmarn Belt connection is a state mega-project between Denmark and Germany, where an 18-kilometre-long immersed tunnel will connect Rødbyhavn and Puttgarden. The project is estimated to cost approximately 67 billion DKK and is of central importance for the transport corridor between Scandinavia and Central Europe.
The project has long been marked by major delays and a conflict between Femern A/S under Sund & Bælt and the main contractor over both the causes of the problems and the bill. The main contractor, Femern Link Contractors, which includes Vinci Construction, has raised a claim of 14.5 billion, while the client side points to the contractor as the main reason for the schedule slipping. At the same time, international arbitration is ongoing regarding corona-related delays.
According to insights obtained by FemernBusiness from the Ministry of Transport, the conflict in late summer 2025 is elevated to a diplomatic and ministerial level, as France's ambassador to Denmark, Christophe Parisot, directly approaches Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen (V) about problems with the construction. The minister refuses to meet with the ambassador and instead refers the matter to his permanent secretary.
Highest alert
A short time later, the conflict escalates further at the civil servant level. In a direct written exchange with the main contractor's director, the Ministry of Transport's permanent secretary Jacob Heinsen questions whether the consortium is even capable of completing the project.
- When a permanent secretary responds in this way, it emphasises that the ministry is on the highest alert regarding the matter, said Frederik Waage at the time.
He also stresses that such statements require full control over process and law, when the state is on one hand in the middle of an arbitration case and on the other hand communicates so directly about the contractor's abilities.
- As a permanent secretary, you speak directly on behalf of the ministry and the state, and these are statements that can have implications for the court case and the arbitration case, assesses Frederik Waage.
On 21 January, it was announced that the first submersion of tunnel elements is now expected to take place in spring 2026. At the same time, it is clear that the dispute over the finances is not closed, and the parties are still negotiating the claims that follow from the delays.
Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen (V) has no comments.
