Denmark’s Frederiksen Hurt by Election Results; Coalition Talks Loom

Danish voters appeared to hand Mette Frederiksen her most punishing result in more than a century, as turbulence over migration and welfare eclipsed broad backing for her confrontational posture with the United States over Greenland.

Ms Frederiksen, who has led the Social Democrats since taking office in 2019, ran on the claim that her tested, tough stewardship would guide Denmark through a fraught relationship with President Donald Trump and help steer the country’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

But at home she looked weakened on both flanks: anger on the left at an immigration approach many considered too harsh, and scepticism on the right about her economic credibility amid a worsening cost-of-living squeeze, analysts said.

Exit projections put the Social Democrats, long the architects of Denmark’s cradle-to-grave welfare system, at 38 seats in the Folketing — down from 50 four years ago.

Should the final tally mirror the close outcome, Ms Frederiksen could face a difficult path to a third term, with government formation talks possibly stretching for days or even weeks.

Many traditional left-leaning backers have voiced frustration over immigration policies they view as unduly severe, while some conservatives have accused her of being insufficiently trustworthy on fiscal matters.

“She is between ‌a rock and a hard place because the numbers are bad for her,” said Andreas Thyrring, a partner at Ulveman & Borsting public affairs advisory firm.

In Brussels Ms Frederiksen has earned respect for her steadfast line on Greenland and for pushing to increase Denmark’s defence spending after the Ukraine invasion.

Yet her blunt negotiating manner has rubbed some the wrong way, and a sizeable portion of the electorate signalled a desire for change.

Morten Messerschmidt campaigned on pledges over migration and cost of living

The contest was watched closely in Greenland, where many saw the vote as an opening to capitalise on Mr Trump’s unprecedented interest in the Arctic island and extract concessions from Copenhagen.

Highlighting the swing against Ms Frederiksen, support surged for the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party under Morten Messerschmidt.

Mr Messerschmidt had campaigned on pledges to achieve zero net migration of Muslims and to scrap petrol taxes as a way to reduce household costs.

“The fact that the Danish People’s Party has now tripled its support clearly shows that Danes are fed up with this and that there are a great many people who want a different direction for Denmark,” Mr Messerschmidt said after exit polls were released.