Polls open in Denmark election with Trump’s Greenland threats on voters’ minds – Europe live | Europe
What are the ‘red’ and ‘blue’ blocs in Danish politics and why does Lars Løkke Rasmussen emerge as a kingmaker?
miranda bryant
in Copenhagen
Political coalitions in Denmark generally consist of “red” and “blue” blocs.
Red, left parties Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet), Danish Social Liberal Party (Radikale Venstre), Green Left (Socialist Folkeparti or SF) and Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) and blue right-wing parties venstre (Denmark’s Liberal party), Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti), Conservative People’s Party (Det Konservatif Folkeparti), Liberal Alliance And Nye Borgerlige (New Right).
However After the last election in 2022, the Social Democrats, the then newly formed center-right Moderates and the conservative Liberal Party of Denmark broke with tradition. establishing a centrist government.
This time, Many of the red bloc hope that a traditional red coalition will put forward a strong left-wing agenda.
But with the polls looking so tight, Moderates expected to play decisive “kingmaker” role in negotiations depending on who they want to partner with.
And at 11 o’clock, Moderates leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen appoints himself “royal investigator” – the role taken by the person who will usually be the Prime Minister and who investigates whether a government can be formed.
Rasmussen, who was twice Danish prime minister and is currently foreign minister, told Politiken: report published last night:
“I’m not a candidate for prime minister, but I would like to be the person who negotiates the foundations of government for a government in the middle. Not to establish a government, but to investigate whether the basis of a government can be established. “Therefore, if we have the decisive vote of the Moderates, I will declare myself royal inquisitor.”
important events
Voting continues in Greenland, where two seats in the Danish parliament will be up for grabs.
And voting is currently ongoing in Greenland, It is three hours behind Copenhagen.
Understandably, There has been a lot of focus on the semi-autonomous region in recent months as US president Donald Trump he repeatedly expressed (not so subtly) his interest in controlling her.
There are nearly 70 ballot boxes According to Greenlandic media outlet Sermitsiaq, he has a shot at grabbing two seats in Folketing as neither incumbent is running for re-election. in question.
Frederiksen Moreover posted a photo from the campaign trail He made a last-minute appeal to voters on Facebook, asking what was important to them and offering to be called by himself or someone from his party to discuss their concerns.
Allow Facebook content?
This article contains content provided by. Facebook. We ask for your consent before anything is uploaded as it may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content Click ‘Allow and continue’.
Prime Minister Frederiksen campaigns on election day
Meanwhile, the prime minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen He is also campaigning this morning and meeting some Greenlandic voters in Aalborg.
What are the ‘red’ and ‘blue’ blocs in Danish politics and why does Lars Løkke Rasmussen emerge as a kingmaker?
miranda bryant
in Copenhagen
Political coalitions in Denmark generally consist of “red” and “blue” blocs.
Red, left parties Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet), Danish Social Liberal Party (Radikale Venstre), Green Left (Socialist Folkeparti or SF) and Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) and blue right-wing parties venstre (Denmark’s Liberal party), Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti), Conservative People’s Party (Det Konservatif Folkeparti), Liberal Alliance And Nye Borgerlige (New Right).
However After the last election in 2022, the Social Democrats, the then newly formed center-right Moderates and the conservative Liberal Party of Denmark broke with tradition. establishing a centrist government.
This time, Many of the red bloc hope that a traditional red coalition will put forward a strong left-wing agenda.
But with the polls looking so tight, Moderates expected to play decisive “kingmaker” role in negotiations depending on who they want to partner with.
And at 11 o’clock, Moderates leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen appoints himself “royal investigator” – the role taken by the person who will usually be the Prime Minister and who investigates whether a government can be formed.
Rasmussen, who was twice Danish prime minister and is currently foreign minister, told Politiken: report published last night:
“I’m not a candidate for prime minister, but I would like to be the person who negotiates the foundations of government for a government in the middle. Not to establish a government, but to investigate whether the basis of a government can be established. “Therefore, if we have the decisive vote of the Moderates, I will declare myself royal inquisitor.”
Under Frederiksen, the far right has slowed down – but at what cost? — analysis
miranda bryant
in Kokkedal
Mayasa Mandia, Recent graduate living in the small Danish town of Kokkedal They will vote for the left in Tuesday’s general election, but not for Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democrats.
A 23-year-old Muslim young man says: Under Frederiksen’s government, far-right comments became normalized in the Danish mainstream. He says he saw this at his university, where there was debate about banning prayer.
“There are more important issues to talk about than the color of someone’s skin, whether they wear a scarf on their head, and whether that scarf reflects our Danish values,” Mandia said.
But under Frederiksen’s centrist coalition, Anti-immigrant rhetoric and Islamophobia are increasingly common in Danish politics. feels.
Unusually on a continent where far-right forces are making unprecedented advances, Votes for the anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party (DPP) are relatively low The party is expected to get about 7.5% of the vote; Smaller parties with similar tendencies are expected to receive another 9% of the votes. Many people think this is because his ideas have been embraced by Frederiksen’s centre-left, not because they have been defeated.
Prime Minister’s strict immigration policies – He came to government in 2019 saying he wanted to reduce the number of refugees to zero – received global attention and has inspired similar approaches across Europe, including Sweden and more recently the United Kingdom.
They are stopping the growth of the far right domestically, but also Bringing right-wing rhetoric and extremist ideas to the left into the mainstreamAnalysts say.
Primary party leaders vote in Denmark – in pictures
‘It is very important what message we send to Europe and the world tonight’
miranda bryant
in Copenhagen
Good morning from Copenhagen where I just came across Pelle DraggedThe leader of Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance) high-fives and waves at passers-by on bicycles. The recently elected Mayor of Copenhagen, Sisse-Marie Welling, I also just cycled through the SF party.
After a short but intense election period Denmark goes to the polls today as expected A lot strict selection.
Social Democrats Mette Frederiksen He is widely predicted to remain prime minister, but with the moderates joining him that is not guaranteed Lars Lokke Rasmussen It is expected to take first place to be decisive in coalition talks.
12 leaders were debating on television until late last night..
Domestic issues left their mark on the election such as animal welfare, drinking water, further tightening of immigration and the cost of living. before the decline of geopolitical problems – not least the crisis with the United States in January, when Donald Trump threatened to invade Greenland, which is part of the Danish kingdom.
The election “is about the daily life of Danish citizens, but it is also an election about what is happening in the world,” Dragsted told me.
“On the one hand, there is a conflict of authoritarian powers, and we are experiencing many important elections that will determine the future of Europe in the coming years. Our election is also part of this conflict.”
He added: “For me it is very important what message we send to Europe and the world tonight.”
Morning opening: Danes go to the polls
Yakup Krupa
After the votes France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia over the weekend, As Danes go to the polls today, it’s Denmark’s turn in the background (waving his arms) everything, everywhere, all at the same time.
As our Scandinavian correspondent miranda bryant explains, It is widely predicted that incumbent Mette Frederiksen will continue as prime minister after the election.
Earlier this year, party recorded a “Greenland explosion” After meeting with the US president Donald Trump’s The threats were aimed at the semi-autonomous region, but the campaign was dominated by internal issues.
And that’s all A lot tight.
The latest Verian poll, released on Monday, predicted: Neither the red nor the blue bloc will form a majority Without the moderates, putting the leader of the moderates, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, He is in the position of kingmaker.
Miranda is lying on the floor Copenhagen and will inform us about the main stories and color of election day in Denmark.
The polls close at 20.00 local time (19.00 in the UK) and there will be exit polls and immediate reactions for you on the blog.
His Tuesday, March 24, 2026 his Yakup Krupa here and this Europe Live.
Good morning.
