Denmark: what are the coalition options?
The Danish elections have failed to produce a clear winner and a left-wing coalition government is looking just as unlikely as one on the centre-right. The Moderates, led by former foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, could be the kingmaker, but Løkke is refusing to work with the Danish People's Party (DF), which has recently shifted to the right.
A conservative government must be possible
Berlingske calls on the leaders of the Danish People’s Party and the Moderates to set aside their differences:
“Morten Messerschmidt and Lars Løkke Rasmussen, make peace with each other now, you stubborn fools! Stop talking about mutually excluding one another from power and influence in Denmark. … Is there any attractive alternative to a broad coalition for the Danish People’s Party? Or for the Moderates? The cold, hard, objective answer has to be no.”
Unity instead of division
Politiken also calls on the parties to work together:
“In an unpredictable world, Denmark needs a government with leadership experience and political legitimacy that extends beyond the centre. … After an election campaign that unfortunately ended in increasingly relentless attacks from the trenches of bloc politics, the time has come to stand together once again and shoulder joint responsibility. Denmark needs a government that prioritises unity over division; the common good of the nation over narrow party-political interests.”