COPENHAGEN — Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s efforts to build a new centre-left government coalition crumbled on Friday after a pivotal partner pulled out of negotiations, casting serious doubt on her chances of clinching a third straight term following the March parliamentary elections.
The breakdown has stalled key government functions in recent weeks, coinciding with strained relations between Denmark and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration over Greenland, leaving Denmark’s King Frederik X. to explore alternatives by assigning the coalition-forming mandate to one of the 11 other party leaders or potentially reoffering it to Frederiksen later.
Moderate Party leader Lars Lokke Rasmussen formally ended talks with Frederiksen and urged handing the reins to Liberal Party head Troels Lund Poulsen for a possible centre-right cabinet, as confirmed in a palace announcement scheduling the king’s meeting with the prime minister at 1530 GMT.
Frederiksen’s Social Democrats, governing since 2019, suffered their weakest showing since 1903 by capturing just 38 seats in the 179-member Folketing, down sharply from 50 in 2022, amplifying the challenge of securing a stable majority.