Denmark PM Frederiksen’s bloc wins election but falls short of majority

Mette Frederiksen’s center-left bloc won Denmark’s general election but failed to secure a parliamentary majority, as her Social Democrats recorded their weakest result in more than a century.

With all votes counted in metropolitan Denmark, the left-wing bloc secured 84 seats in the 179-member parliament, short of the 90 needed for a majority. The right-wing bloc won 77 seats.

The centrist Moderates, led by Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, emerged as kingmaker with 14 seats, positioning the party as pivotal in coalition negotiations expected in the coming weeks.

Frederiksen, in office since 2019, said she was prepared to continue as prime minister, telling supporters she was “ready to take on the responsibility” for another term, while acknowledging that forming a government would be challenging.

Rasmussen called for a broad coalition across political blocs, urging unity. “We must not be divided… we have to work together,” he said.

However, Troels Lund Poulsen of the Liberal Party ruled out joining a government led by the Social Democrats, signaling a potential deadlock.

Coalition talks are set to determine whether Frederiksen can assemble a governing majority or whether Denmark faces a more complex power-sharing arrangement.