Denmark’s next coalition government could be headed by a far-right populist party after early results after yesterday’s general election showed a narrow majority for the centre-right opposition camp.
After a closely fought campaign, dominated by immigration and welfare issues, early results with 50 per cent of votes counted suggested Danes had ousted the one-term Social Democrat-led coalition of Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
But as results came in, the liberal Venstre party of Lars Løkke Rasmussen, traditionally head of the centre-right, was slowly overtaken by the rightwing populist Danish People’s Party (DF).
After a tight campaign and a nail-biting election evening, the result will hinge on votes from the semi-autonomous Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
The outgoing Social Democrats of Helle Thorning Schmidt finished the election first with 26.5 per cent of the vote, according to the early results. The opposition liberal Venstre lost about five points to finish with 21.6 per cent with 50 per cent of votes counted.
Coalition arithmetic
But coalition arithmetic is crucial for building a government in Copenhagen’s 179-seat Folketing parliament. With 90 seats required for a majority, the centre-right “blue” camp’s projected 91 seats could be enough to unseat the red camp’s 84.
Crucial to the success of the blue camp of Mr Rasmussen, prime minister for two years until 2011, is support of the right-wing populist DF, the big winners of the evening.
As results came in, the DF crept up from initial projection of 18 to more than 20 per cent support. That means it rivals Venstre as Denmark’s number two party after doubling its 2011 result with demands for tighter immigration policies.
It has also promised that any centre-right Danish government would back British demands for a renegotiation of immigration and welfare rules ahead of its EU membership vote.
DF leader Kristian Thulesen Dahl broadened party support by toning down hardline rhetoric and was given a roaring reception to last night’s election party.
‘Not afraid of office’
As his party closed in on Venstre, Mr Dahl was asked whether he could envision taking office, possibly as prime minister, or if he would continue a tradition of supporting a centre-right government from the opposition benches.
“We are not afraid of joining a government,” said Mr Dahl, “if that’s where we gain the most influence.”
After taking office in 2011, Ms Thorning-Schmidt’s centre-left “red” camp plunged in opinion polls after adopting a tough economic reform path at odds with previous campaign promises. After losing a coalition partner last year the Social Democrat leader, married to British MP Stephen Kinnock, looked like a one-term premier.
But she closed a double-digit poll gap in the weeks leading up to yesterday’s tight finish after toughening up party rhetoric towards immigrants and promising extra social spending.
After years of recession, she held up a 1.7 per cent growth forecast for this year as proof that her government’s controversial reforms were working, and that the Danish economy was in good hands.
