Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen breaks deadlock to form govt for 3rd time

After weeks of fraught negotiations, Acting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Monday announced the formation of a centre-left coalition government.

Frederiksen met King Frederik X and announced that the coalition government would be formally sworn in on Wednesday. She said the coalition includes her Social Democrats, the Socialist People's Party, the Moderates, and the Social Liberal Party.

The announcement broke a deadlock that had lasted for weeks and saw attempts by both Frederiksen and the right-wing Liberals to form a ruling coalition.

Upon the completion of her third term, Frederiksen would be the longest-serving Prime Minister of Denmark since World War II. She first assumed office in 2019, becoming the youngest premier.

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In the March election, Frederiksen's Social Democrats emerged as the largest party but won just 38 seats in parliament — down from 50 in the previous election.

Following the election results, Frederiksen's ally, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, walked out of the coalition, and she initially failed to form a government. As a result, King Frederik asked Liberal leader Troels Lund Poulsen to form the government. After Poulsen also failed to form a government, King Frederik again asked Frederiksen to do so. She succeeded on her second attempt.

Frederiksen held ground against Trump but faces challenges at home

As Prime Minister of Denmark, Frederiksen stood up to US President Donald Trump's threats to invade and annex the country's island of Greenland and emerged as the face of European pushback against the American coercive campaign. She also aligned Denmark more closely with Nato, championed the European Union's (EU) rearmament in the wake of Russian aggression, and became one of the leading supporters of Ukraine.

But even though Danes cheered Frederiksen's leadership in the wake of dual threats from Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, domestic concerns such as the cost of living, the state of the economy, and welfare worries meant that her party secured its worst result in more than a century.

Frederiksen also faces a far-right movement in Denmark. While her Social Democrats and the right-wing Liberals scored their worst results and saw their seats fall, the far-right Danish People's Party tripled its vote share to 9 per cent.

In her third term, Frederiksen has her work cut out for her. She has to hold talks with the Trump administration over Greenland, double down on building up Denmark's military and beefing up Greenland's defences, address the socioeconomic concerns plaguing Denmark, and check the far-right surge.