The parliamentary elections in March resulted in a divided parliament without a clear majority. Although the Social Democratic party remained the largest, it lost a significant number of seats. Thus, the snap elections called by Frederiksen resulted not in a gain but a loss.
Since then, negotiations have taken place in Copenhagen with the liberal Venstre party and others about a new government. Frederiksen tried to secure her third term as prime minister, but the talks stalled.
On Friday, King Frederik X asked Minister Troels Lund Poulsen to lead the negotiations on forming a new government. Poulsen is leader of the liberal Venstre party and currently serves as deputy prime minister and minister of defense in the government.
Promotion
Shift to the Right
Poulsen must explore whether a coalition is possible without the participation of the Social Democrats and the Moderates. This could mean a clear political shift to the right for Denmark. It is not ruled out that this would be a minority government; minority cabinets are more the rule than the exception in Denmark.
Although Frederiksen’s Social Democrats remained the largest party in the election, they fell far short of a majority in the Folketing, the Danish parliament. As a result, she remained dependent on complicated negotiations with other parties.
Under Pressure
In recent weeks, tensions have grown among the parties involved in the coalition talks. Several center-right parties ultimately supported the idea of giving Poulsen the lead in a new round of negotiations.
Frederiksen herself acknowledged that her position is under pressure. She said the election result leaves room for the formation of a center-right government and that this might be the start of that. It would also mark the end of Frederiksen’s premiership, one of the most experienced government leaders within the EU.
It is also not yet clear whether Poulsen will find sufficient support to establish a new coalition. Should that fail, the mandate might shift again to other party leaders or return to Frederiksen.