Denmark’s King Frederik X hands government mandate to opposition leader

Denmark’s King Frederik X on Friday, May 8, tasked Deputy Prime Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, leader of the centre-right Venstre party, with attempting to form a new government after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen failed to secure a coalition.

The move follows a near-deadlock in the March 24 parliamentary election. Although Frederiksen’s Social Democrats won the largest share of votes, they fell well short of a majority in the Folketing, Denmark’s parliament. Frederiksen had been leading coalition negotiations in an effort to secure a third term in office, but was unable to build sufficient support.

In a statement issued late Friday, the Danish royal household confirmed the king’s decision, saying King Frederik X “has requested the Chairman of the Liberal Party, Troels Lund Poulsen, to lead negotiations on the formation of a government that does not involve the participation of the Social Democrats and the Moderates.”

The development signals a shift toward a potential centre-right government, excluding Frederiksen’s party from power.

Frederiksen acknowledged the possibility of losing office earlier on Friday, telling reporters: “The Danes gave the Social Democrats a worse election result and have composed the Folketing in such a way that a centre-right government could well be formed — it may well be that this is the beginning of that.”

Poulsen will now seek to build a viable coalition, as Denmark enters a new phase of government formation following the inconclusive election result.

By Tamilla Hasanova