News / EU

Denmark opposition parties to form new coalition government

Saturday, 20 June 2015 2:41 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 20 June 2015 2:41 PM ]

This combo of two file photos shows outgoing Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt (L) and opposition leader Lars Lokke Rasmussen. (AFP photo)

Opposition parties in Denmark have begun consultations over the formation of a coalition government, following the tightly contested general election of June 18 in the kingdom, which resulted in the defeat of the ruling Social Democratic Party.

On Saturday, Queen Margrethe II chose former Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who is the leader of opposition party Venstre, also known as the Liberal Party of Denmark, to begin talks with Danish People’s Party (DPP) to form a government.

Rasmussen was selected by the queen despite his party garnering 19.5 percent of the votes, coming third in the Thursday election. The DPP won 21.1 percent of the ballots.

Denmark’s Lars Lokke Rasmussen, center, leader of the right-wing opposition party Venstre, is tasked with forming a coalition government after victory in the June 18, 2015 election. (AFP photo)

Rasmussen leads the center-right group of opposition parties that won a majority, securing 90 seats in the parliament. The number is enough for the formation of a coalition government in the 179-seat Danish parliament.

“We will begin speaking with all parties represented in parliament, starting with the DPP,” Rasmussen stated. He has described negotiations over the formation of the government as “difficult.”

The new government will replace the previous center-left cabinet of outgoing Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, whose governing Social Democratic Party won 26.3 percent of the vote.

Thorning-Schmidt’s party and allies failed to win as many votes as the opposition group collected in the election.

Danish media reports say the government formation process could take weeks and it is still unclear whether the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic DPP would agree to take part in a government led by Rasmussen.

DPP’s Kristian Thulesen Dahl, who eyes the premiership himself, had previously warned his party would not join a cabinet unless it could effectively influence policies. Nonetheless, the DPP has given parliamentary support to previous conservative governments, backing them on new pieces of legislation.

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