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The Social Democrats won on Wednesday legislative elections marked by a "green" push and the collapse of anti-immigration populists. "You have chosen a new majority and a new course," Mette Frederiksen said. REUTERS / Fabian Bimmer

Danish Prime Minister Liberal Lars Løkke Rasmussen on Wednesday (June 5th) acknowledged his defeat in the parliamentary elections won by Mette Frederiksen's Social Democrats.

" We made a good election but there is alternation, " Lars Løkke Rasmussen told his supporters. " I will go tomorrow (Thursday) to present to the queen the resignation of the government, " he added.

The Liberal Party, at the head of the Danish government 14 of the last 18 years, scored a very good score, up four points from 2015, with 23.4% of the vote, according to almost final results. But he is behind the Social Democrats, who total 25.9% of the vote, and his right-wing allies are losing ground. Among them, the Danish People's Party (DF), a pivotal force on the Danish political scene since the early 2000s, collapses.

This populist, Eurosceptic and anti-immigration group has a staggering setback, losing more than half of its seats in the Folketing, the unicameral Parliament, to keep only 18 mandates.

►A read: Denmark: Social Democrats surf on the theme of immigration

Social Democrat leader Mette Frederiksen said she would like to lead a minority government in the event of a victory, with support for the parliament from variable back-up forces depending on the issues. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, however, said the Liberals intended to seek a government alternative with other parties in the center, including the left, if Mette Frederiksen failed to form his own.

(With AFP)