By John Q. Hosedrinker 
The Social Democrats experienced significant losses in Denmark’s municipal and regional elections, with support dropping over five percentage points nationally. This decline included the loss of Copenhagen, marking the first time in over a century the party will not hold the lord mayor position. Mette Frederiksen attributed the defeat to factors such as rising food prices, urban-rural imbalances, and crime. Analysts suggest voter fatigue with the prime minister’s hardline policies on immigration and integration also contributed to the setback.
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Social Democrats in Denmark suffered sweeping election losses, a reality that saw the prime minister’s centre-left party shed over five percentage points in recent municipal and regional elections. While they retain their position as the largest municipal party, the drop from 28.4% in 2021 to 23.2% signifies a significant shift in the political landscape.
It’s tempting to pinpoint a single cause, but the situation is considerably more complex. It’s safe to say that the current centre coalition government’s general unpopularity played a massive role in their setbacks. It’s a classic case of incumbents facing a backlash.
While discussions surrounding issues like “Chat Control” legislation and its potential implications certainly arose, they don’t appear to be the dominant factor. The media’s coverage of these issues might have been strangely muted. Instead, other underlying factors seem more relevant.
The Social Democrats, in recent years, have edged towards the political right, leaving many of their core voters feeling alienated. This has contributed to their losses, but it’s not a problem unique to them. All the government parties are feeling the heat.
Across the globe, we see a trend of people moving towards the extremes. Denmark isn’t immune. Many observers suggest that these elections were, in essence, a referendum on the cost of living, with housing taking center stage. While migration policies are mentioned, hard-right parties didn’t see substantial gains.
This suggests that migration, a policy area where the Social Democrats have actually maintained popularity, wasn’t the main issue. The government’s other failures, including its handling of inflation, broken environmental promises, and scandals involving overreach, caused their downfall.
The EU’s controversial Chat Control bill and the government’s perceived overreach added to the public’s frustrations. Failing to meet environmental goals, continued dependence on fossil fuels, and adopting what many saw as right-wing economic policies all alienated various voter segments.
It’s tempting to boil everything down to one single factor, like migration, but the reality is more nuanced. The Social Democrats have been in power for a while, and the usual issues that come with incumbency were amplified by other missteps.
The reality of these losses isn’t nearly as severe as the destruction witnessed by parties like the SPD in Germany or the Conservatives in Britain.
The fact that the far right didn’t make substantial gains proves migration wasn’t the decisive issue.
Adopting far-right talking points often backfires. In this situation, the far right’s failure to make gains demonstrates that the Social Democrats’ strategy of adopting tougher immigration policies has failed to energize their core voters without swaying those on the right.
The situation has been exacerbated by the Social Democrats’ shift towards more liberal economic policies. This has caused an exodus among their core voters.
It’s also crucial to remember that this was about municipal elections, which often focus on local concerns. While there’s a strong connection between local and national policies, the primary focus remains the direct impact on citizens’ lives in their local communities.
From a Danish perspective, the Social Democrats’ loss is a result of arrogance and being seen as the establishment. Their perceived embrace of right-wing economic policies and mishandling of issues like inflation contributed to the feeling that they were out of touch.
The loss of the mayoralty in Copenhagen, a Social Democrat stronghold for a century, is a significant blow. The decision to install an unpopular candidate for the mayoral race at the last minute also contributed to the party’s humbling experience.