Danish Government In Doubt After Election Ends in Slim Lead for Ruling Left-Wing Bloc
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
The election, held over the disastrous Minkgate scandal that tarnished Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s otherwise successful image, resulted in a change in Danish political landscape, with two new parties entering parliament and possibly disrupting the traditional two-bloc system.Denmark’s snap election seemed to be gearing up to be a real nail-biter, but ended in a narrow victory for the “red” center-left bloc led by the Social Democrats.Despite initially falling short in the exit polls, the Social Democrats – led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen – won just enough votes for a slim majority thanks to votes cast in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which, though they enjoy home rule, are still part of the Danish Realm.The election was held after both allies and rivals of Frederiksen called on her to take responsibility for her instruction to slaughter all the country’s farmed mink – in an attempt to eradicate COVID-19 – and in effect wipe out an entire industry, but it could mark a departure from Denmark’s traditional two-bloc system, in which the “reds” and the “blues” take turns to govern the country. This time, two new parties entered the fray, throwing a spanner into the political works and further fragmenting both right and left.Because of their shaky lead, Frederiksen’s Social Democrats (27.5 percent) may seek extra support, including from the Moderate Party founded barely six months ago by her predecessor as prime minister and long-time leader of the Liberals, Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Fittingly, both Frederiksen and Rasmussen have already indicated an appetite for cross-bloc cooperation that would result in a centrist government involving mainstays from the left and right and thus minimize the influence of smaller fringe parties.Jakob Engel-Schmidt, the political head of the Moderates, told local media that this approach would be a sensible response to the present situation in Europe where the energy and cost-of-living crises loom large. With 9.3 percent of the vote, the Moderates landed in a “joker” position and may end up having the final say over the composition of the future government.
Energy Crisis in EuropeDenmark, Norway See Record Double-Digit Inflation11 October, 05:25 GMTThe Liberals (also known as Venstre) – traditional pillars of the “blue” bloc – had a poor showing of 13.3 percent, their worst performance in decades and a far cry from what is needed to take the lead. Though not dismissing the chances of cross-bloc collaboration, their leader Jakob Ellemann-Jensen told local media that it was “difficult to envisage”.The national-conservative Danish People’s Party (DF), once a formidable force capable of winning elections, dropped to a mere 2.6 percent after a stormy series of internal feuds and effectively losing their unique role as the only anti-immigration force. Recently both blocs have favored a tougher stance on immigration and integration, depriving the DF of their voter base.From the right, the DF found themselves challenged by the euroskeptic and nationalist New Right and the Denmark Democrats – led by former hardline Immigration Minister Inger Støjberg – who won 8.1 percent in their first election.
