Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democrats have emerged as the strongest party in Denmark’s general election but are heading for a historically poor result, projections showed on Tuesday after the polls closed.
It is not yet certain how, or indeed whether, Frederiksen will be able to govern the country for a third term.
Projection late on Tuesday evening pointed to an unclear balance of power.
The three parties that have formed Frederiksen’s administration – the Social Democrats, the centre-right Venstre and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s Moderates – are expected to fall well short of a majority.
With around a third of votes counted, the Social Democrats were on 21.3% of the vote, down from 27.6% in 2022.
Potential left-wing and conservative alliances are short of the necessary 90 seats in the Danish parliament,leaving Rasmussen’s Moderates as the kingmakers.
Left-wing parties made significant gains, with the Green-Left party – which had campaigned for smaller class sizes and greater action on climate change – set to become the second-largest.
“The Danes have spoken – and they want more red and green politics in this country,” said Pelle Dragsted, leader of the left-wing Red-Green Alliance.
A key point of contention in any potential negotiations between the Social Democrats and left-wing groups is likely to be the tough immigration policy that has become a hallmark of Frederiksen’s time in office.
On the far right, the Danish People’s Party recovered from a poor result in 2022 to seal 9.5% of the vote, according to the latest tally.
Around 4.3 million Danes were eligible to vote. A provisional final result could be confirmed in the course of Tuesday night.
Frederiksen is seeking a third term after a row with Washington over the future of Greenland thrust her into the international spotlight.
The vote comes amid months of heightened tensions over US President Donald Trump’s push to take control of the semi-autonomous Arctic island.
Frederiksen’s firm rejection of Trump’s bid boosted her approval ratings, helping to stabilize her government after a period of declining support.
Seeking to capitalize on that momentum, Frederiksen called a snap election last month. She sought to present herself as a reliable crisis manager.
Projections indicated, however, that the party risked getting its weakest result in more than a century amid voter discontent over cuts to social programmes and the rising cost of living.