A Historic Blow for Denmark's Ruling Party
In a stunning political upset, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has conceded a dramatic fall in support for her Social Democrats party following sweeping defeats in nationwide municipal and regional elections. The most significant loss came in Copenhagen, where the centre-left party lost control for the first time in more than a century, marking a profound shift in the Danish political landscape.
Election Results and Key Losses
The scale of the defeat became clear on Tuesday night, with the Social Democrats seeing their national support drop from 28.4% in 2021 to 23.2%, a loss of more than five percentage points. While they remain the largest municipal party in Denmark, the results signal a substantial erosion of their traditional base.
In a deeply personal blow for the Prime Minister, her close friend and handpicked candidate for lord mayor of Copenhagen, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, failed to secure the necessary votes. Support for the Social Democrats in the capital plummeted from 17.2% in 2021 to just 12.7%.
The historic position of lord mayor will now be held by Sisse Marie Welling from the Green Left (SF), whose party secured 17.9% of the vote. The Red-Green Alliance emerged as the capital's biggest party with 22.1% of the vote. "We have written history at city hall," a triumphant Welling declared.
Analysing the Fallout and Future Implications
A visibly disconsolate Frederiksen addressed the media, stating the decline was "greater than we had expected." She cited rising food prices and a growing imbalance between rural and urban areas as factors behind the party's declining popularity. The Prime Minister also pointed to crime committed by "people coming from outside," reinforcing her government's hardline stance on immigration.
Beyond Copenhagen, the Social Democrats suffered significant losses in several former strongholds, including the municipalities of Frederikshavn, Køge, Fredericia, Gladsaxe, and Holstebro.
Political analysts suggest voter fatigue with the government's stringent policies on integration and immigration played a key role in the party's decline, particularly in Copenhagen. This hardline approach has partly inspired recent asylum and migration policy unveiled in the UK.
Professor Peter Thisted Dinesen, a political science expert at the University of Copenhagen, described the outcome as a "big loss for the Social Democrats across the whole party." He noted that while Frederiksen's position as Prime Minister is not immediately threatened, the results will undoubtedly trigger intense analysis and internal discussion about the party's direction and strategy moving forward.
