She has been in politics for nearly three decades. But on Saturday, Social Democrat Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil (S) announced that she is leaving politics following the defeat in the municipal election.
»I have fought the best I could for what I believe in. But this time it didn’t work out. The result of this election in Copenhagen is not satisfactory. It is my responsibility. And on that basis, I have made a decision to step down and thus leave politics«, she writes on her Facebook page.
The disappointing result in the municipal election meant that Socialdemokratiet lost the mayoral post in the capital – a position the party had held for over 100 years.
The party received 12.7 percent of the votes and became the third-largest party.
Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil announced her candidacy for the position of lord mayor last summer. It happened in a remarkable reshuffle, where she swapped places with the then-mayor Sophie Hæstorp Andersen (S), who then took Rosenkrantz-Theil’s position as Minister for Social Affairs and Housing.
Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil led a notable campaign. She wrote a book about the challenges facing the capital and made several controversial proposals for the development of the city – ranging from more parking spaces to free daycare for the city’s children.
But after the election defeat, Socialdemokratiet didn’t even make it into the coalition agreement, which led to SF’s Sisse Marie Welling becoming lord mayor.
Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil’s own analysis is that she must step down to avoid standing in the way.
»The election campaign and the constitution largely came to revolve around me«, she writes on Facebook.
»The result that remains is that almost all parties at City Hall chose to unite and bypass Socialdemokratiet. Despite political disagreements. But to put me and Socialdemokratiet out of the door. In that way, I also end up standing in the way of the Social Democrats being able to use their mandates to push policies through at City Hall. Those who voted for Socialdemokratiet cannot be served by that«, she writes.
Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil has previously been both Minister of Children and Education and Minister for Social Affairs and Housing for Socialdemokratiet, but she began her political career with Enhedslisten, which she left in 2008.
Huge defeat
Politiken’s political analyst Elisabet Svane is surprised that Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil is stepping down right now – so shortly after the election. But not really surprised that she chooses to step down.
»On a human level, I think everyone understands it. It was a huge defeat for the party, and Rosenkrantz-Theil is very much associated with that defeat«, says Elisabet Svane, who also points out that Rosenkrantz-Theil tore the party apart, so it was her and her people versus the sitting Social Democratic local politicians at City Hall.
Politically, her exit opens a flank for criticism, Elisabet Svane assesses.
»If anyone doubted whether Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil was driven by a spirit of municipal politics, the doubt is now gone: It was merely a matter of the Social Democrats maintaining power«, she says
Elisabet Svane predicts that there will be criticism that Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil apparently only wants to be involved if she can sit at the head of the table and make decisions.
»That criticism will come roaring. A bit cynically, one could say that she won’t be there when the criticism comes. But the question is how much of it sticks to Socialdemokratiet and to Mette Frederiksen. Not only the fact that they are personal friends, but also that Mette Frederiksen used her power to move Sophie Hæstorp Andersen and put Rosenkrantz-Theil forward in Copenhagen«, says Elisabet Svane, who concludes:
»Socialdemokratiet didn’t just have a terrible election across the country – it’s also the icing on the cake that is now collapsing«.
The Social Democrats at Copenhagen City Hall must now find someone else to take on the position of Mayor for Employment, Integration, and Business, which Rosenkrantz-Theil had chosen. What she herself will do next is still uncertain.
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