Here’s everything you need to know about the election result
The election campaign is over, and the votes have been counted. But it is a result that seems to raise more questions than it answers.
84 percent of eligible voters went to the polls on Tuesday and marked their ballots, and they have elected a Folketing with no clear majority.
Join us as we walk through the key results and the possible scenarios.
Here is how we voted
After bad elections, you often hear politicians say that taking responsibility comes at a price. The election certainly proved costly for the government. All three parties lost ground, and together they have lost 19 seats.
In the opposition, most parties gained, and a brand-new party has entered Parliament.
One thing, however, is as usual.
Biggest and smallest
Socialdemokratiet remains the largest party nationwide, with a comfortable margin down to No. 2, SF. The smallest party is Borgernes Parti, which cleared the threshold and won four seats.
But biggest or not, Socialdemokratiet is headed for its worst election in more than 100 years. You have to go all the way back to 1903 to find a worse result for S. Back then, it won 20.47 percent of the vote.
The governing partner Venstre, for a second parliamentary election in a row, was among the biggest losers. It also posted the worst result in the party’s history.
Seat shifts
All the lost seats have to end up somewhere, and quite a few parties are indeed gaining ground.
The standout is Morten Messerschmidt and Dansk Folkeparti which in the 2022 election had sunk to the point of barely clearing the threshold. Now it gains a full 11 seats and becomes the fifth-largest party in the Folketing.
Next comes Pia Olsen Dyhr and SF, which picks up five seats and becomes the second-largest party.
Liberal Alliance gains two new seats, but the party still fails to become the largest in the center-right bloc.
The electoral threshold
For two parties, the campaign was above all about clearing the two-percent threshold.
Over the course of the last election term, both parties at times polled below the threshold. But on Election Day, both Borgernes Parti and the Alternative managed to make it into Parliament, winning four and five seats, respectively.
Socialdemokratiet dominates
Socialdemokratiet still dominates Denmark’s political map. It is effectively the only major party nationwide and comes out on top in 80 of the country’s 92 constituencies. But it is also losing ground in all 92 constituencies.
In the capital, Enhedslisten becomes the largest party in five constituencies.
Konservative comes out on top in Gentofte and Rudersdal, while Danmarksdemokraterne is the biggest in the Ringkøbing constituency.
No bloc politics
After the 2022 election, Mette Frederiksen could freely choose between the red bloc and a centrist government. This time, it looks different.
Without the North Atlantic seats, the red bloc has 84 seats, while the blue bloc has 77. That means neither bloc can secure a majority without the man in the middle: Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
And that sets the stage for some creative lineups.
Here are the possible coalitions
»It’s going to be a mess«, Pia Olsen Dyhr said as she arrived at SF’s election-night party.
And with no clear majority, Pia Olsen Dyhr will probably be right.
Politiken’s political analyst, Elisabet Svane, offers her take here on the most likely governments.
The center-left government: S, SF, M and R, with EL as a supporting party.
»It has the seats, but there’s bad blood between Moderaterne and Enhedslisten. You also have to remember that in that lineup, Løkke is the most right-leaning, and he’ll want to be paid for delivering the decisive mandates.
It’s a constellation where you’ll have to swallow a lot of camels, but to quote Løkke, »power is the spice that makes the camels go down«.
The very broad government of the center: S, V, M, K and R
»That’s the one we’ve been talking about all along, but Troels Lund Poulsen shut it down this evening«.
A green government of the center: S, SF, K, M and R
»It seems completely far-fetched. Konservative has tied themselves to Venstre, and SF can’t go into government with Konservative. But the cheeky question in a long set of coalition talks is whether it could become palatable for Konservative, who are closer to SF and R on climate than other right-wing parties. But that’s one of the wild guesses«.
A right-wing government with M and right-wing supporting parties
»Morten Messerschmidt shot that down immediately. It was Troels Lund Poulsen’s proposal. But since he has ruled out Radikale Venstre himself, it looks very difficult«.
Build your own majority
Text: Peter-Emil Hornemann
Animation: Kristian Jensen
Code review: Emil Kristoffersen
Editor: Johannes Skov Andersen