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TexasTowelie

(112,480 posts) Thu Jun 18, 2015, 07:56 PM Jun 2015

Denmark's center-right opposition wins election after gains by anti-immigration party

Source: AP

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark's center-right opposition won a parliamentary election after strong gains by an anti-immigration party that wants to limit the European Union's influence over the small Nordic country, official results showed.

With all votes counted, preliminary official results showed the opposition bloc led by Lars Loekke Rasmussen, a former prime minister, would get the 90 seats needed to secure a majority in the 179-seat legislature.

"Four years ago we handed over the keys to the prime minister's office. I then said it was only a loan," he told supporters in Copenhagen. "There is a majority that believes that Denmark needs a new government and gives us a possibility to get the keys back."

His main opponent Helle Thorning-Schmidt conceded defeat, saying she would resign as prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party on Friday.

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/06/18/left-right-are-neck-and-neck-as-danes-vote-in-elections

3 replies

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Denmark's center-right opposition wins election after gains by anti-immigration party (Original Post) TexasTowelie Jun 2015 OP

There goes the neighborhood.... again... Elmer S. E. Dump Jun 2015 #1

Optimism from Denmark - sort of... TomVilmer Jun 2015 #2

Thank you for weighing in with your insight TexasTowelie Jun 2015 #3

Elmer S. E. Dump

(5,751 posts)

1. There goes the neighborhood.... again...

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Fri Jun 19, 2015, 09:42 AM

Jun 2015

TomVilmer

(1,832 posts)

2. Optimism from Denmark - sort of...

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Sat Jun 20, 2015, 08:06 AM

Jun 2015

Even the Danish media always gets it a bit wrong, since our parliamentary system is made of nerds for nerds. We are a limited monarchy with negative parliamentarism. Officially the Queen will elect the new prime minister, after consulting the parliament. They will provide her with views on which candidate for prime minister could get wide support, and the Queens role herself is just some leftover formality.

The prime minister does not need to have full support from the parliament, but only needs that a majority are not against him. Then the prime minister chooses his ministers. Nothing in our constitution demands that ministers also are elected members of parliament, but it does not forbid this either. Seldom we have a non-elected minister, but in theory even the prime minister could be picket outside parliament and party lines.

Our elected politicians have chosen, that they themselves as ministers best can handle combined legislative and executive powers, and are also taking solid dips in the judicial powers. Denmark is still a monarchy, and our constitution was written i 1849 after a couple of hundred years as a full theocracy, where the Kings was the most omnipotent beings in all of Europe. A formal Separation of Powers was never really realized, and there is no plans for that.

OK, formality aside. It is true, that we now have some really unhealthy parties elected and in power for this ancient country. But, our so called social democratic government was also leaning their way. My only optimism is based on the fact, that our big social democratic group is most fun, when they are in opposition. In power, they support your wars - in opposition, they are more willing to go up against USA's newest violent foreign policies. And they suddenly starts to care for our immigrants.

So, I have hope for the coming years!

TexasTowelie

(112,480 posts)

3. Thank you for weighing in with your insight

Reply to TomVilmer (Reply #2)

Sat Jun 20, 2015, 02:28 PM

Jun 2015

from Denmark since we don't receive much news from there. I hope that the social democrats are resolute in showing opposition to the anti-immigrant fervor that is present in your country.

Finally, welcome to DU! It's great that we have people from other countries to weigh in and provide the international perspective.

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