The left bloc of Danish Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emerged in the lead on Tuesday, November 1 in the legislative elections, but without a majority against a bloc bringing together the right and the far right, according to polls carried out at the exit of the polls.

The centre, with 16 or 17 seats out of the 179 in the Danish Parliament, appears to be the arbiter between the left (85 or 86 seats) and the right and the extreme right (73 or 74 seats) according to published polls at the closing of the polling stations by the public television stations DR and TV2.

However, nothing is done: this scenario leaves open several hypotheses for the future, including a reappointment of Mette Frederiksen or a new centrist or even right-wing Prime Minister.

The new centrist party essential for a majority

But the new centrist party of the Moderates, created this year by the former liberal leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen, twice Prime Minister in the past, seems essential to form a majority.

Credited with barely 2% of voting intentions two months ago, this party would eventually exceed 9%, assuming its position as kingmaker.

"We will do everything possible to be the link, that's the idea", explained Lars Løkke Rasmussen the day after voting, ensuring that he was not seeking a third term as Prime Minister.

His lieutenant Jakob Engel-Schmidt called for the constitution of a government between left and right, going beyond the traditional blocs of Danish politics.

“We hope for a government with Liberals, Social Democrats and Moderates,” he said. 

The four overseas seats (Greenland and Faroe Islands), which should give three seats to the left and one to the right, could also prove crucial.

Climate, inflation and energy

The early poll was prompted by the 'mink crisis': a party supporting the minority government threatened to overthrow it if it did not call an election to ensure voters' confidence after the decision, which was later declared illegal , to slaughter the huge herd of mink in the country to fight against the Covid-19. 

The management of the pandemic was barely mentioned during the campaign, as were immigration issues, in a country that has championed rigorous immigration for more than twenty years.

Jealous of its prosperity and cohesion, Denmark is known for its hard line in this area, regardless of the bloc in power.

Apostle of a "zero refugee" policy, the outgoing social-democratic government is thus pushing for the establishment in Rwanda of a delocalized management center for asylum seekers.

Since the late 1990s, the far right has had a significant influence on Danish politics.

For this election, three populist parties competed for the votes of voters.

The Danish People's Party, the most established of them, is however losing ground compared to the other two and would gather 2.5 to 2.9%, according to the exit polls, its worst result.

Voter turnout is traditionally high in Denmark.

In 2019, 84.6% of the approximately 4.2 million voters traveled to vote.

The first results are expected to drop after 9:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. GMT).

With AFP

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