Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s bid for a third term was complicated Tuesday after her left-leaning bloc won the largest share of seats but failed to secure a majority. The grouping — anchored by the Social Democrats and including the Moderates led by former prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen — captured 84 of the 179 seats in parliament. The right-wing bloc took 77 seats. Rasmussen’s Moderates won 14 seats, positioning the party as a potential kingmaker and setting up difficult coalition negotiations.
“We must not be divided. We must not be red. We must not be blue. We have to work together,” Rasmussen told supporters after the results.
Frederiksen had called a snap election months before the October deadline after gaining prominence during a diplomatic episode involving former U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported interest in Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. That episode had bolstered her profile, but the Social Democrats still suffered a sharp drop in support, falling to 21.9% of the vote — their weakest share since the start of the last century and down from 27.5% in 2022.
“I am ready to take on the responsibility of serving as Denmark’s prime minister again for the next four years,” Frederiksen said following the vote.
Domestic concerns dominated the campaign. Debates over a proposed wealth tax and stricter immigration policies energized voters, and exit polls suggested the electorate focused more on those issues than on foreign-policy questions. The result reflected a fragmented political landscape: 12 parties appeared on the ballot, underscoring a splintered scene that will complicate coalition building.
Greenland’s leaders underscored the vote’s importance for the island. “I think it’s the most important election for the Danish parliament in Greenland in history,” Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told AFP, citing worries about outside powers seeking influence in the region.
With the left bloc likely to remain united and the right expected to fragment, Frederiksen is the frontrunner to try to assemble a coalition majority and form the next government, though tough talks lie ahead.