Election in Denmark

Analysis: Pressure on the others after Løkke's move

The leader of the Moderates, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, is trying to steer the government formation towards the result he wants, namely a broad middle solution around the Social Democrats, the Moderates and the Liberals. This is written by DR's political analyst Jens Ringberg after Rasmussen's demand that the prime minister candidate Mette Frederiksen (S) invite two more conservative parties to negotiations.

Løkke is now putting pressure on Frederiksen, while also testing the Liberals' leader Troels Lund Poulsen, writes Ringberg.

"Now Løkke has made an attempt, now the ball is in Frederiksen and Lund Poulsen's court," he states.

Politiken's Elisabet Svane writes that if it turns out that it is impossible to get the Social Democrats and the Liberals to cooperate, Løkke could return to focusing on a center-left government that includes the Moderates.

"But in that case, there will be a lot of pressure on him because in that constellation he constitutes the right flank," she writes.

Berlingske's Bent Winther notes that Løkke is holding the baton in the government negotiations.

Løkke's demand: Frederiksen must negotiate to the right

The weight-bearer in the Danish government negotiations, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, wants the Social Democratic prime minister candidate Mette Frederiksen to give up her attempts to form a center-left government. This is reported by Ekstra Bladet.

Instead, Rasmussen, who leads the bourgeois Moderates, wants Frederiksen to look to the right and also invites the right-wing parties Venstre and Konservative to talks.

He says that he will not enter into further negotiations with Frederiksen if she does not agree to the demand. Earlier in the day, Venstre's deputy party leader Stephanie Lose announced that her party could sit in a government led by Frederiksen, something the party's regular chairman Troels Lund Poulsen flatly rejected after the election.

Government formation in Denmark — it matters

• The Danish election on 24 March 2026 resulted in the left bloc winning 84 seats, the right bloc 77 and the centre-right Moderates 14 seats.
• No bloc gained a majority of its own, which gave the Moderates' Lars Løkke Rasmussen a decisive role in the formation of the government.
• The Social Democrats and the Liberals had their worst elections ever, while a record number of women were elected to the Folketing and voter turnout was the lowest since 1990.
• Two right-wing MPs were excluded after the election due to drug-related scandals, which made it difficult for the right to form a government.
• The government negotiations have been difficult and protracted, and Mette Frederiksen has been tasked by the King to try to form a government.