With the new political season on the doorstep, Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt admits that it was difficult for the three parties in the current coalition to find a frictionless modus operandi.

“There is no doubt that it was difficult in the beginning to get cabinet cooperation working. Three parties in a government is a challenge, but we have learnt a lot and our cooperation is much, much better now,” Thorning-Schmidt says in an interview with politiken.dk.

The Socialist People’s Party in particular has had internal problems, not least in connection with a Tax Agreement with non-socialist parties. More recently a leading party ideologist has questioned whether the party should be in government at all; and criticised Party Leader Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal for being away too much.

“We respect the fact that it is the first time that the Socialist People’s Party is in government, and when you take the historic leap and enter the cabinet there is bound to be a lot of debate – as there is in the Socialist People’s Party. I have great respect for the fact that they have shouldered responsibility. That is something that costs. There are difficult decisions, but they have done it anyway,” the prime minister says.

Asked whether the Socialist People’s Party, with almost as many votes as the Social Liberals, has almost as much influence on economic policy, Thorning-Schmidt says all three parties have influence on policy.

“We are three parties who work well together and who have influence of the overall government project. Our project is one that everyone backs 100 per cent. That is the most important thing,” Thorning-Schmidt says.

FACEBOOK – Follow Politiken’s News in English