Elections in Denmark

Warning ahead of the election: Denmark could become the new Netherlands

Everything indicates that the Danish parliament will become historically fragmented after Tuesday's election. Complicated government negotiations await and several of the most likely constellations include four or five parties, writes Berlingske.

Political scientist Tom Louwerse, who has researched government formation, warns that Denmark is moving towards a structure that has long characterized his native Netherlands. New fringe parties are "cannibalizing" existing parties and former giants are weakening. Only small and medium-sized parties remain. Ahead of the elections in Denmark, the Social Democrats are the largest with just over 21 percent.

The result in such an environment is often that unpopular centrist governments are formed, says Louwerse.

- In this way, it is the fate of modern governments. At the same time, there is no obvious alternative, and therefore this type of government can be accepted.

Analysis: Everyone else is dancing around Løkke ahead of the election

With three days left until the election in Denmark, it looks like Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen will become the kingmaker in the middle. This is what Bent Winther writes in an analysis in Berlingske.

The path to power lies through the party leader of the Moderates, who is positioning himself between the red and blue blocs. Everyone seems to realize this and other party leaders are “dancing” around him in the final spurt of the election campaign with their statements, Winther writes.

Winther believes that a center-right government will be difficult to achieve and that Løkke himself would navigate his way to the post of prime minister is unlikely. He assesses that the most likely outcome is “a solution that smells a bit like a center-right government”.

At the same time, Social Democratic Party leader Mette Frederiksen is fighting for a third term as prime minister, writes Elisabet Svane in an analysis in Politiken. For the Social Democrats, the election is largely about trust in her leadership. There is a rare hatred for Frederiksen in Denmark, but also an unusually high level of trust.

“She is both the Social Democrats’ strongest and weakest card,” Svane summarizes.

The election in Denmark — it’s all about the matter

• At the end of February, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called a general election for March 24.
• Opinion polls have shown that the left-wing bloc had the upper hand, but that the Moderates could be the wave-winner.
• The issue of wealth tax has become central to the election debate, with the Social Democrats’ proposal to tax wealth over 25 million Danish kroner.
• The Danish security police PET has warned that Russia is likely to carry out influence campaigns ahead of the election. According to an analysis, the USA is also mentioned as a possible influence threat.
• The four mandates from Greenland and the Faroe Islands were considered to be crucial for the formation of a government after the election.