From kingmakers to comeback kids, five takeaways from Danish election

1. Social Democrats nonetheless have the magic

Maybe no person was extra stunned by the Danish election outcomes than incumbent Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who wiped away tears as she spoke to supporters at her celebration headquarters in Copenhagen late on Tuesday night time. 

Through the marketing campaign, there was no certainty she’d be on this place and had talked about desirous to type a broad authorities of nationwide unity to sort out the problems dealing with the nation – the identical points dealing with the remainder of Europe just like the local weather disaster, rising vitality costs, the struggle in Ukraine and the price of residing disaster.

In the long run, it was the Social Democrats’ greatest election end result within the final twenty years, with 50 seats secured, and sufficient assist from different left-wing events to type a authorities — so it stays to be seen whether or not now, able of victory, she’s going to nonetheless attain out and type that broad authorities she talked about on the marketing campaign path. 

2. Moderates surged, however will not be kingmakers

For a celebration that was solely fashioned in the summertime, the Moderates carried out exceptionally nicely to win 16 seats and turn out to be the third largest celebration in parliament. 

Led by former PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Moderates had hoped to seek out themselves within the position of kingmaker after the votes have been counted (and Rasmussen little question had visions of changing into prime minister once more)  however it wasn’t to be, for the reason that left-wing bloc acquired sufficient seats mixed to win a majority. 

3. Far-right ups and downs

The Danish far-right has had its ups and downs over the past twenty years.

From 2001 till 2011, and once more from 2016 to 2019, the Danish Individuals’s Get together (DPP) supported the governments of the day (together with Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s authorities, see above) and in consequence had a seat on the desk when it got here to creating coverage choices according to what their voters needed: getting robust on migrants. 

On the European Parliament Elections in 2014, the DPP emerged as the most important Danish celebration, securing 27% of the votes. 

Quick ahead to 2022, and there are combined fortunes for Denmark’s far-right events.  

The Danish Individuals’s Get together has fallen out of vogue, choosing up simply 5 seats (down from 16 on the final election, the place they already misplaced 21 seats in comparison with the earlier election).

However the right-wing mantle has been picked up by the Danish Democrats, one other celebration solely formally launched in June this yr, led by former minister Inger Støjberg, which secured 14 seats. 

Does Støjberg’s identify appear in any respect acquainted? In December 2021 she was convicted in her position as immigration minister of illegally separating asylum-seeking {couples} the place one accomplice was underneath 18.

After a uncommon impeachment trial, Støjberg was sentenced to 60 days in jail. The courtroom discovered that she had uncared for her ministerial duties “deliberately or by way of gross negligence”.

Now she leads the fifth greatest celebration in parliament. What a distinction a yr makes.    

4. Losers might be winners

Even when it appears to be like like a celebration did badly on election night time, they may become winners in the long run. 

The small Radikale Venstre celebration — in English they’re referred to as the Social Liberal Get together — solely acquired seven MPs into the brand new parliament, which is down sharply from the 16 seats they gained on the final election. 

They are a pro-European celebration and have supported governments on each the left and proper of Danish politics earlier than, so may nonetheless find yourself as “winners” by extracting some concessions from Mette Frederiksen as she appears to be like to type a brand new authorities. 

Which means celebration chief Sofie Carsten Nielsen would possibly be capable of soften the federal government’s place on immigration issues, the place Radikale Venstre has a much less strict method. 

Each cloud has a silver lining.  

5. The smallest constituencies performed an outsize position

It wasn’t simply voters within the Danish mainland casting their ballots on this basic election. 

Voters within the Faroe Islands went to the polls on Monday 31 October, whereas Greenlanders voted on 1 November. 

Every of the territories, which have a semi-autonomous relationship with Denmark, sends two parliamentarians to the Folketing in Copenhagen. 

Though the left-wing bloc led by Mette Frederiksen secured 87 seats due to mainland constituencies, it meant she was nonetheless three seats in need of a majority. 

However, as within the 1998 basic election, the North Atlantic votes counted within the Social Democrats’ favour: Greenland returned two left-wing MPs from the Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit events, with 47.8% turnout; whereas within the Faroe Islands one Social Democrat MP was elected, with 71.3% turnout general.