The Greenland gambling findings weakened Frederiksen, who is up for a third term

COPENHAGEN – Mette Frederiksen’s decision to call a early elections In the wake of tensions over Greenland, the Social Democrats gave them their weakest result in more than a century, but still left her in the running for a third term as Denmark’s prime minister.

With 12 parties entering parliament and only three winning more than 10% of the vote, the election produced a highly fragmented legislature with no clear path to a governing majority.

Neither the left nor the right bloc secured enough support to form a government, leaving Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his centrist moderates in a key role.

“Denmark is becoming more and more like the Netherlands,” said Benny Engelbrecht, a Social Democrat lawmaker and former minister. The centre-left party topped the poll with around 22% of the vote – its worst performance since 1904 – but still almost twice the size of the second-placed Greens.

“I remain ready to take on the responsibility of serving as prime minister of the country,” Frederiksen said upon arrival at Christiansborg Palace late Tuesday, while acknowledging that coalition talks would be difficult.

For the Social Democrats, retaining power remains the main objective, a party strategist said Euractiv. That could require support from moderates, although Rasmussen has ruled out any coalition that also depends on far-left support.

Liberals retreat

An audible sigh went through the hall at the Liberal Venstre’s election night meeting in Christiansborg as exit polls showed the party’s worst result in history.

A few hours later, party leader Troels Lund Poulsen confirmed that Venstre would not return to government with the Social Democrats. “Being in government with the Social Democrats has done Venstre a lot of damage,” he told supporters. Instead, he suggested that the moderates could join Venstre to form a centre-right majority, or that the party would go into opposition.

Such a scenario seems unlikely. The far-right Danish People’s Party has ruled out cooperation with Rasmussen’s centrists. “We will not make Lars Løkke Rasmussen minister,” said party leader Morten Messerschmidt, a former MEP. Euractiv after the results came.

He called on the centre-right to form a united opposition, arguing that it could present a credible alternative to Frederiksen and Rasmussen. Liberal MP Morten Løkkegaard echoed the stance, saying Euractiv that if a right-wing majority proves unattainable, the party should “take some time in the opposition to regroup”.

(cz)