Arne Juhl
Face of Denmark's early retirement reform.
Arne Juhl (born 1960) is a Danish former brewery worker who became nationally known as the face of the Social Democrats' election promise of early retirement during the 2019 Danish parliamentary election. His role in the campaign led to the early retirement benefit being popularly called the 'Arne pension'.
- Born
- 1960
- Workplace
- Fuglsang brewery in Haderslev
- Years worked
- 42
- Election year
- 2019
- Party campaign
- Social Democrats
- Slogan
- Now it's Arne's turn
- Retirement planned date
- 1 May 2024
Lore & Background
Arne Juhl grew up in Southern Jutland and lived in Fjelstrup. He worked for 42 years at the Fuglsang brewery in Haderslev, where he had physically demanding tasks. Before the election campaign, he had suffered a knee injury, which was highlighted in the campaign as an example of wear and tear after a long working life. In connection with the 2019 parliamentary election, Juhl was used as a major figure in the Social Democrats' campaign for a new right to early retirement under the slogan 'Now it's Arne's turn'. He was often mentioned in the media as the party's 'poster boy' for the reform and appeared both in campaign material and in press coverage as a representative of skilled workers with long working lives who were not entitled to other options to retire from the labor market with a public benefit. The benefit is therefore also known as the 'Arne pension'.
Reader's Guide
Between the general election and September, Juhl underwent surgery for lung cancer and received chemotherapy as of September 2019, which led to him taking sick leave from the brewery. He attended the Social Democratic Party congress in Aalborg on 14 September 2019, where Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen addressed him directly. Regarding the agreement on the Arne pension, he said, 'It's quite excellent.' On 18 September 2020, Juhl stated that he was proud of his role in the election campaign and the political debate it had sparked. In 2022, he lost his job when the brewery left Haderslev. In December 2023, he stated that he planned to retire on 1 May 2024. Upon his retirement, he was publicly celebrated, including at an event with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. In December 2025, Juhl stated that he was considering no longer voting for the Social Democrats, but instead for Green Left (SF), citing high food prices and tax policy. He also scolded the Liberal Alliance for having 'abused' him in several campaigns and stated that Alex Vanopslagh is 'beyond pedagogical reach' in his world.
More in Brewing Processes, Part 3 1-20
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced