Danish general election, 2015

Danish general election, 2015

18 June 2015

All 179 seats to the Folketing 90 seats are needed for a majority Turnout 85.8%[1]   First party Second party Third party   Leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt Kristian Thulesen Dahl Lars Løkke Rasmussen Party Social Democrats Danish People's Venstre Last election 44 seats, 24.9% 22 seats, 12.3% 47 seats, 26.7% Seats won 47 37 34 Seat change 3 15 13 Popular vote 924,940 741,746 685,188 Percentage 26.3% 21.1% 19.5% Swing 1.4% 8.8% 7.2%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Collective leadership Anders Samuelsen Uffe Elbæk Party Red–Green Liberal Alliance The Alternative Last election 12 seats, 6.7% 9 seats, 5.0% New party Seats won 14 13 9 Seat change 2 4 New party Popular vote 274,463 265,129 168,788 Percentage 7.8% 7.5% 4.8% Swing 1.1% 2.5% New party   Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party   Leader Morten Østergaard Pia Olsen Dyhr Søren Pape Poulsen Party Social Liberals Socialist People's Conservative People's Last election 17 seats, 9.5% 16 seats, 9.2% 8 seats, 4.9% Seats won 8 7 6 Seat change 9 9 2 Popular vote 161,009 147,578 118,003 Percentage 4.6% 4.2% 3.4% Swing 4.9% 5.0% 1.5%

Prime Minister before election Helle Thorning-Schmidt Social Democrats Elected Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen Venstre

General elections were held in Denmark on 18 June 2015 to elect the 179 members of the Folketing. 175 members were elected in Denmark proper, two in the Faroe Islands and two in Greenland.

Background

Following the 2011 general election, a minority government was formed by the Social Democrats, the Social Liberal Party and the Socialist People's Party. The government was supported by the Red–Green Alliance. Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the leader of the Social Democrats, became Prime Minister.^[2]

The government had rocky relations with the Red–Green Alliance, relying on their ad hoc support to pass bills instead of a formalized alliance. They have occasionally preferred to cooperate with Venstre to pass legislation. Symbolically, Red–Green deputy Frank Aaen told Finance Minister Bjarne Corydon "Happy New Year" on 28 February 2013, because the government had failed to meet with his party since the beginning of 2013.^[3]

On 3 February 2014, the Socialist People's Party left the government in protest over the sale of shares in the public energy company DONG Energy to the investment bank Goldman Sachs.^[4] This sparked a crisis within the Socialist People's Party, as three former cabinet ministers left the party, joining either the Social Democrats or the Social Liberal Party. However, the Socialist People's Party continued to support the government on confidence motions, preventing an early election.^[5]

The incumbent government prior to the elections consisted of a coalition between the Social Democrats and Social Liberal Party, with Helle Thorning-Schmidt continuing as Prime Minister. The cabinet was composed of 14 Social Democratic ministers and 6 Social Liberal ministers.^[6][7]

Electoral system

The 179 members of the Folketing were elected in Denmark (175), the Faroe Islands (2) and Greenland (2). The 175 seats in Denmark included 135 seats elected in ten multi-member constituencies by proportional representation, using a modified version of the Sainte-Laguë method and Hare quota, and 40 "top-up" seats, allocated to parties in order to address any imbalance in the distribution of the constituency seats.^[8]

According to the Danish Constitution, the election had to be held no later than 15 September 2015, as the last election was held on 15 September 2011. The Prime Minister was able to call the election at any date, provided it was no later than four years from the previous election, and this is often cited as a tactical advantage to the sitting government, as it can call an early election when polls are favourable. On 27 May Thorning-Schmidt announced that the elections would be held on 18 June 2015.^[9]

Opinion polls

Polls notably underestimated the vote share received by the Danish People's Party.^[10][11]

Results

For Denmark proper, the “Red” bloc (A+B+F+Ø+Å) won 85 seats and the “Blue” bloc (V+O+I+C+K) 90 seats. Even with all of the extra four seats from Greenland and the Faroe Islands going to the “Red” bloc, it would still be one seat behind the “Blue” bloc.

Shaded, from red (A+B+F+Å+Ø) to blue (C+I+K+O+V)

Aftermath and government formation

Although the Social Democrats increased their share of the vote and won more seats, the "Blue" opposition bloc led by Venstre's Rasmussen (Venstre, Danish People's Party, Liberal Alliance, Conservative People's Party, and Christian Democrats) gained a parliamentary majority over the "Red" Social Democrat-led bloc (Social Democrats, Red–Green Alliance, The Alternative, Social Liberals, and Socialist People's Party). Within an hour of the election result being declared, Thorning-Schmidt announced her government would step down on 19 June, and that she would also resign as party leader on the same day.^[10]

In accordance with the Danish Constitution, on the day after the election each party submitted their recommendation to Queen Margrethe II for the appointment of a party to be in charge of government formation negotiations (the role of the Queen was purely formal, as her appointment had to reflect the will of the majority of the elected MPs). The submitted recommendations showed a parliamentary majority (all "blue bloc" parties) for Venstre to lead the process of government formation. The negotiation mandate was unconditional from all "blue bloc" parties, except Liberal Alliance, who initially made their support conditional on a first negotiation phase being restricted to the attempt to assemble a majority government (including all elected "blue bloc" parties). After Rasmussen had been granted this specific mandate, he invited such negotiations to begin on 20 June.^[12]

Negotiations began on 20 June, but it was not thought likely that a majority government involving all the "blue bloc" parties was possible. The Conservative People's Party indicated they would rather stay out of a government coalition.^[13]

The Danish People's Party set out four conditions for their involvement in a coalition: a Eurosceptic approach to the EU, the re-introduction of border controls, further restrictions on immigration and asylum policy, and 0.8% growth in public spending. Meanwhile, the Liberal Alliance also indicated willingness to be in a coalition, but the party supports reductions in public spending,^[13] as does Venstre.^[14]

On 21 June, Rasmussen concluded that, having tried, it would not be possible to form a majority government and he announced his intention to seek a new negotiation mandate allowing a minority government. On 28 June, Lars Løkke Rasmussen's new government assumed office with a cabinet composed solely of Venstre ministers.^[15]

References

External links

• Election polling and trends Politiken.dk
• Greenland Folketing Election Results Qinersineq

Elections and referendums in Denmark
Folketing elections	1849 1852 1853 (Feb) 1853 (May) 1854 1855 1858 1861 1864 1866 (Jun) 1866 (Oct) 1869 1872 1873 1876 1879 1881 (May) 1881 (Jul) 1884 1887 1890 1892 1895 1898 1901 1903 1906 1909 1910 1913 1915 1918 1920 (Apr) 1920 (Jul) 1920 (Sep) 1924 1926 1929 1932 1935 1939 1943 1945 1947 1950 1953 (Apr) 1953 (Sep) 1957 1960 1964 1966 1968 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1984 1987 1988 1990 1994 1998 2001 2005 2007 2011 2015 Next
Landsting elections	1849 1853 1855 1859 1863 1866 (Jun) 1866 (Oct) 1870 1874 1878 1882 1886 1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1914 1915 1918 1920 (Aug) 1920 (Oct) 1924 1928 1932 1936 1939 1943 (1945) 1947 1951 1953
European elections	1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014
Local elections	1900 1901 1902 1903 1906 1909 1913 1917 1921 1925 1929 1933 1935 1937 1943 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017
Other elections	Constituent Assembly 1848 Rigsraadet 1856 1864 1865
Referendums	1916 1920 1939 1953 1961 1963 1969 1971 1972 1978 1986 1992 1993 1998 2000 2009 2014 2015
See also: Elections and referendums in the Faroe Islands Elections and referendums in Greenland

Elections and referendums in the Faroe Islands
Løgting elections	1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1943 1945 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1980 1984 1988 1990 1994 1998 2002 2004 2008 2011 2015
Folketing elections	1920 (Apr) 1920 (Jul) 1920 (Sep) 1924 1926 1929 1932 1935 1939 1943 1945 1947 1950 1953 (Apr) 1953 (Sep) 1957 1960 1964 1966 1968 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1984 1987 1988 1990 1994 1998 2001 2005 2007 2011 2015
Referendums	1907 1946 1973 2009
See also: Elections and referendums in Denmark Elections and referendums in Greenland

Elections and referendums in Greenland
Inatsisartut elections	1951 1955 1959 1964 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1984 1987 1991 1995 1999 2002 2005 2009 2013 2014
Folketing elections	1953 1957 1960 1964 1966 1968 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1984 1987 1988 1990 1994 1998 2001 2005 2007 2011 2015
Local elections	1979 1983 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2008 2013
European elections	1979 1984
Referendums	1972 1978 1979 1982 2008 2009
See also: Elections and referendums in Denmark Elections and referendums in the Faroe Islands