Denmark: major losses for Frederiksen in local elections
The Social Democratic Party led by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen suffered heavy defeats in Tuesday's municipal and regional elections. Although it retained its position as the strongest party nationwide, securing around 23 percent of the vote, it lost more than five percentage points compared to 2021 and also the mayoral seat in Copenhagen for the first time in decades. Commentators conclude that voters wanted to punish the government.
Voters aren't stupid
Jyllands-Posten explains why the governing coalition made up of the Social Democrats, the liberal Venstre party and the Moderates was punished in the local elections:
“One explanation is key: voters have no idea what the government can and will do in terms of social benefits for immediate and everyday needs. And they have no idea what the overall situation will be after fixed costs, including the five percent of GDP that Denmark must spend on defence and security, have been covered. For months, the government has been promising to present an economic plan. This has been postponed again and again, and voters are not so stupid that they can't figure out that there isn't enough money to pay for all this.”
Lessons for Sweden's Social Democrats
The Danish Social Democrats' shift to the right is something the sister party in Sweden would do well not to emulate, warns Aftonbladet:
“Most analysts agree that the defeat is due to the shift to the right. Housing costs have risen rapidly – but the largest party preferred to talk about the need for more parking spaces and the right of all Danes to drive a car. Magdalena Andersson [leader of the Swedish Social Democrats] should learn from Mette Frederiksen's mistakes with a view to next year's election campaign. The Danish Social Democrats may have secured the prime minister's office, but they have lost their soul.”