Election in Denmark

All leaders got an hour – but Løkke stayed for two

The hunt for a new government in Denmark has begun. On Friday, Social Democratic Party leader Mette Frederiksen, as the exploratory leader, received representatives from seven parties in seven separate meetings, writes Berlingske.

According to Danmarks Radio, all party leaders got about an hour in the room with Frederiksen – all except Lars Løkke Rasmussen. There, “a two-hour staring contest” was required. Løkke and his Moderates have a swaying role between the left and right blocs and play a key role in government formation.

According to the Social Democrats, the discussions were constructive. New meetings will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday before the party leaders take the Easter weekend.

Frederiksen is likely to fail in the first round of exploratory talks, says professor Rune Stubager to Jyllands-Posten. It is too early for all parties to sell out election promises and abandon red lines, he says. Many of the parties deeply disagree on taxes, schools, defense, jobs and nuclear power.

Analysis: In the corridors there is talk of a “monster government”

It will be difficult for Mette Frederiksen to gather support for a government in the twelve-party strong Folketing, writes DR’s Rikke Gjøl Mansø in an analysis.

The most likely constellation looks to be a center-left government. But in the corridors there are now whispers of a “monster center,” writes Mansø.

It includes “the unpopular and rejected by the voters” trio that recently governed together: the Social Democrats, the right-liberal Venstre and the center party Moderates, plus another party from each side. That gives a majority. At the same time, such a solution could damage the parties in the long term.

After an election campaign where there was “money in abundance,” the reality is here, writes Berlingske commentator Bent Winther. Frederiksen has a message of serious times with him into the exploratory round, which could be a trump card when other parties present their wish lists.

Ultimately, he believes that Moderates party leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen can approve a red government.

“The redder the government he is going to join, the bigger the blue footprint he will demand in the government documents.”

The Danish election — it’s about the matter

• The Danish general election was held on March 24 and resulted in a historically even parliament with twelve different parties represented.
• The Left Bloc won 84 seats, the Right Bloc 77 and the center-right Moderates party became the swing party with 14 seats. This makes government formation difficult.
• The Social Democrats and the right-wing party Venstre had their worst elections ever, with 21 and 10.1 percent of the vote respectively.
• A record number of women were elected to the Folketing, a total of 86 out of 179 members, and the average age was a record low of 43.9 years.Rekordmånga kvinnor valdes in i folketinget, totalt 86 av 179 ledamöter, och medelåldern blev rekordlåg på 43,9 år.
• Prime Minister and Social Democratic Party leader Mette Frederiksen was tasked by the king this week to try to form a government.