Accessibility links

Breaking News

Opposition Wins Denmark Elections


Social Democratic leader Mette Frederiksen delivers a speech in Copenhagen, Denmark, June 6, 2019.
Social Democratic leader Mette Frederiksen delivers a speech in Copenhagen, Denmark, June 6, 2019.

Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen announced his resignation Thursday after the opposition Social Democrats won the most seats in the country's elections.

Rasmussen's Liberal Party actually picked up seats, but the nationalist Danish People's Party that supported his minority government suffered huge losses.

The Social Democrats got about 26 percent of votes to lead all parties, setting up 41-year-old Mette Frederiksen with the chance to become the country's youngest-ever prime minister.

She said voters had chosen a "new majority" and "should take a new direction" as she celebrated with supporters. Frederiksen said the Social Democrats would try to form a single-party government while also seeking the support of parties on the right on issues such as immigration and from parties on the left when it comes to social welfare issues.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG