Iran Press/ Europe: The centre-left party finished clear of the centre-right Liberals of outgoing prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who improved on their 2015 score to reach 23.4 percent, and the populist, far-right Danish People’s party (DPP), which plunged to 8.7 percent – less than half its tally in the last election, according to a report by The Guardian.
Although the Social Democrat-led “red bloc” of leftist parties won 91 seats in the 179-seat Folketing (Danish parliament), against 75 for Rasmussen’s rival “blue bloc”, Mette Frederiksen, the Social Democrat leader, has said she intends to form a minority government with ad hoc support from parties across the political spectrum.
Mette Frederiksen, the Social Democrat leader
Forming a coalition could prove difficult as other parties on the left mostly do not back the Social Democrats’ tough immigration policies. Frederiksen has also rejected a proposal from Rasmussen to enter a “grand coalition” with his Liberals, although the two biggest parties have a majority between them.
Rasmussen conceded defeat on Wednesday night, saying he would hand his government’s resignation to Queen Margrethe on Thursday. “As things stand, Mette Frederiksen has a chance to form a government,” he said. “I don’t think it will be easy for her.” He said he would be “standing by the phone” for eventual coalition talks.
Frederiksen told a victory party that Denmark had “chosen a new majority, and a new direction … After tonight, we will put welfare first in Denmark again. Welfare, climate, education, children, future. Think of what we can do together. We now have the hope to change Denmark.”
The centre-left party focused its campaign on climate issues and the defence of Denmark’s welfare state, promising to reverse years of spending cuts to education and healthcare, and maintain its tough approach on immigration.
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