COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) \u2014 Mette Frederiksen is set to begin a third term as Denmark\u2019s prime minister, during which she is expected to maintain a firm stance against U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s ambitions for Greenland, the kingdom\u2019s semiautonomous territory, and continue supporting Ukraine.<\/p>\n
With another term, the 48-year-old Social Democrat joins the ranks of Europe\u2019s longest-serving and most experienced leaders. Frederiksen has led the European Union and NATO member country since mid-2019.<\/p>\n
She is likely to press ahead with efforts to strengthen Denmark\u2019s defenses and deepen cooperation with European allies, as the United States signals a reduced military role<\/a> in Europe. Frederiksen has been among Europe\u2019s strongest supporters of Ukraine since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022.<\/p>\n The prime minister’s popularity among EU peers and her \u201creally standing there against Trump\u201d on Greenland are major factors behind Frederiksen’s electoral success, Carolin Hjort Rapp, a political scientist from the University of Copenhagen, told The Associated Press. <\/p>\n In early January, Trump renewed calls<\/a> for the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island to come under U.S. control, but leaders of Denmark and Greenland insisted on the territory’s right to self-determination. <\/p>\n The world order established after World War II is undergoing major change, according to a 70-page document outlining the new government’s vision. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Russian threat to Europe and the simultaneous uncertainty from the American side are significantly changing the security situation,” it said.<\/p>\n Frederiksen told a news conference that she was \u201chappy and proud\u201d that Denmark now ranks among NATO\u2019s top spenders and emphasized that the country would remain committed to this course.<\/p>\n Denmark spent 3.2% of gross domestic product on defense in 2025, an almost threefold increase compared to 2022. <\/p>\n Popular in Europe but less so at home<\/p>\n At home, Frederiksen faces a complicated political landscape, but her new center-left alliance may allow her to move away from unpopular conservative policies pushed by her previous government, which was a grand coalition of both left and right. <\/p>\n The new government, created after two months of negotiations, will include Frederiksen\u2019s Social Democrats, the centrist Moderates led by outgoing Foreign Minister Lars L\u00f8kke Rasmussen, the Green Left (SF) and the Danish Social Liberal Party, the Danish Royal House said in a statement on Monday.<\/p>\n Frederiksen and Rasmussen survived the March general election, Hjort Rapp said, because of their prominent role in the Greenland crisis. <\/p>\n \u201cThey kind of survived, but at same time the voters were not satisfied with what the government had been doing before, so they wanted to move to other parties,” the political scientist said. \u201cYou see smaller parties that gained way more votes than before,\u201d she added, referring to parties on both the left and the far-right. <\/p>\n The governing vision unveiled on Tuesday afternoon includes multiple commitments, such as ambitious climate measures, reducing social inequality and tax relief for companies. In specific nods to demands of coalition partners, the government plans to make pig production more sustainable, introduce free dental care in the next few years and reduce value-added tax for some foods. A social media ban for kids under 15 was also mentioned. <\/p>\n A center-left politician with conservative stances<\/p>\n Under pressure from a rising far-right, Frederiksen’s previous Cabinet had veered to the right. Frederiksen announced proposals that include a potential \u201cemergency brake\u201d on asylum and tighter controls on criminals who lack legal residence. Her government already had unveiled a plan to allow the deportation of foreigners<\/a> who have been sentenced to at least one year in prison for serious crimes.<\/p>\n Her government also removed a popular national holiday, the Great Prayer Day, to finance higher defense spending. Danish media reported on Tuesday that the holiday might be restored by the new government in the future. <\/p>\n