Danish PM quits after election setback

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has resigned following a sharp electoral setback, though she remains a leading contender to return to power after complex negotiations in a fragmented parliament.

Frederiksen's Social Democrats suffered their worst election result since 1903, winning 38 seats in the 179-member Folketing, down from 50 in the previous vote, in what analysts described as a backlash over cost-of-living pressures, welfare concerns and contested economic policies.

Despite the defeat, the party remains Denmark's largest political force, leaving Frederiksen still in contention for a third term. However, both the left- and right-leaning blocs fell short of the 90-seat majority required to govern outright, forcing reliance on smaller centrist parties to form a viable coalition.

The centrist Moderates, led by Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, are now seen as potential kingmakers, while political analysts say Frederiksen's return to office will depend on difficult negotiations following years of polarised politics and voter fragmentation.

Experts noted that dissatisfaction stemmed largely from domestic economic decisions, including scrapped public holidays, tax measures and shifting fiscal proposals, rather than foreign policy positions, despite Frederiksen's firm stance on issues such as Greenland and US interest in the Arctic territory.

In a parallel development, Greenland's Naleraq party, which advocates rapid independence from Denmark, secured its first seat in the parliament after its candidate Qarsoq Hoegh-Dam winning 24.6% of the Greenlandic vote, up sharply from 12.2% in 2022.

The party's entry comes amid heightened international attention on Greenland following renewed geopolitical interest in the Arctic, including past US overtures.