Danish PM reaches deal to form more central government

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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that she had reached an agreement with the main opposition party to form a centrist government. The negotiations were sewn by politics after the center-left coalition that governs the country won a fragile majority in Parliament, in a election held last month.

The alliance led by the Social Democrats won 90 of the 179 seats in Parliament in the elections, the minimum necessary for the formation of a majority. The result thwarted Frederiksen’s plans, who had brought the elections forward with the aim of forming a broad coalition that would reach all political spectrums, at a time classified by her as “international uncertainty”.

According to the prime minister, the new government will be formed jointly with the Liberal Party, until then the main opposition party, and the Moderates —the latter, founded just four months ago, was created after Lars Lokke Rasmussen left the Liberal Party, title for which he was elected prime minister twice (2009-2011 and 2015-2019).

“We have set big ambitions to secure more jobs and also in the climate area, as well as a very comprehensive reform program,” said Frederiksen.

The leader was forced to bring the elections forward after smaller parties, some of which included her support base, threatened to call a no-confidence vote in parliament.

One of the triggers was the long unfolding of the so-called “mink crisis”, in which the government proposed the slaughter of all 17 million mammals in creations in the country to contain alleged mutations of the coronavirus —the plan ended up being suspended in November 2020, after of harsh criticism. Denmark is one of the main exporters of the skin of these animals.

Frederiksen led a management to combat Covid that was considered successful in the country and internationally, but saw his popularity dehydrate with the case.

The election, in which 14 parties competed, was dominated by the domestic agenda — from tax cuts to financial support for the population due to high energy prices amid the Ukraine War.

Issues that once had greater relevance, such as migration, lost prominence after a certain consensus of the main parties. Frederiksen’s government supports the idea of ​​establishing an agreement with Rwanda to send asylum seekers to the African country arriving in Danish territory – something similar tried to be done in the United Kingdom, but the initiative was blocked by Justice.

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