Copenhagen, Nov. 1, (dpa/GNA) - Denmark is set to elect a new parliament on Tuesday.
After an election campaign focused on domestic issues as well as the fight against inflation and high energy prices, almost 4.3 million Danes will have the opportunity to cast their ballots from 8 am to 8 pm (0700-1900 GMT). Among them are an estimated 200,000 first-time voters.
Initial forecasts are expected immediately after the polling stations close in the evening, with a preliminary final result expected in the course of election night.
A total of 179 seats are to be allocated in the parliament in Copenhagen. Of these, Greenland and the Faroe Islands both get two each as the two autonomous territories are officially part of the kingdom of Denmark.
Since her election victory over three and a half years ago, the Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has led Denmark with a minority government consisting exclusively of her party.
When she needs political majorities, she relies primarily on support from her left-wing camp, but also relies on votes from the conservative/right-wing bloc, for example when it comes to strict immigration policy.
This time, Frederiksen is aiming for a government which will transcend the traditional bloc boundaries, a rare occurrence in her country.
In the face of soaring energy costs, war in Ukraine and other crises, the 44-year-old believes it is the right time for broad cooperation in the political centre.
However, the centre-right has made an alliance which wants to opt out of this idea.
This blue bloc is led by the leader of the liberal-conservative party Venstre, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, and consists of no less than six liberal, conservative and right-wing parties.
Among them is the right-wing populist Danish People’s Party, which has suffered losses in recent years. In 2015, it got a whopping 21.1% share of votes, but this number plummeted to 8.7% in 2019 and could now possibly even fail to clear the low 2% hurdle required to enter parliament.
This is partly due to internal party disputes, but also because the issue of immigration has hardly played a role in the current election campaign.
Another party in crisis is Venstre itself, after two influential politicians left in 2021 to form their own respective parties.
Former immigration minister Inger Støjberg founded the Denmark Democrats, while former prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen founded the Moderates.
Many Venstre voters have now deserted the party to support these two new ones.
Løkke in particular could shake up the political status quo in the election: While Støjberg aligned herself with the blue bloc, the former prime minister stands right between the political camps.
Polls suggest that both the left and the right blocs cannot get a majority without the Moderates, which could give Løkke a deciding role.
As in the 2019 election when he was still Venstre leader, he has been advocating cooperation across political lines.
Venstre leader Ellemann-Jensen however, wants him on his side, making a plea to Løkke to “come home,” saying that their political ideas grew “in a common former backyard” during a TV debate of the leaders of the 14 hopeful parties on Sunday.
GNA