Overview
- Frederiksen’s left-leaning bloc led Tuesday’s vote, according to official results, yet fell short of a majority in Denmark’s 179-seat parliament.
- The Social Democrats remained the largest party with about 22% of the vote, their worst result since the early 1900s, as the left tallied 84 seats, the right 77, and the Moderates 14.
- After palace talks on Wednesday, King Frederik X asked Frederiksen to try to form a cabinet as “royal investigator,” opening negotiations that could run for weeks.
- The Moderates, led by ex–prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, now hold the balance of power, and analysts caution he could emerge as a contender for prime minister if talks deadlock.
- Talks must bridge a sharp split over a wealth tax that Frederiksen backs and liberals reject, while a fragmented map with 12 parties, a Danish People’s Party rebound to about 9%, and four non‑decisive Greenland and Faroe seats add complexity.