COPENHAGEN: Voters cast ballots in Denmark on Wednesday in a general election where the opposition Social Democrats are tipped to return to power following a campaign dominated by concerns over the climate, welfare cuts and immigration.
Opinion polls indicate the centre-left Social Democrats will win more than 27 per cent of the vote, almost 10 points ahead of Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen’s ruling Liberal Party, which has been in power for 14 of the last 18 years.
Voting at a school in Copenhagen, Rasmussen said he was staying “calm”.
“The only count that matters is the one that can be settled when the election is decided tonight,” he told reporters.
If the Social Democrats emerge victorious, they intend to form a minority government — common in Denmark’s proportional representation system — relying on the support of other parties to pass legislation.
The party, led by Mette Frederiksen, appears to have boosted its appeal after adopting the right wing’s long-standing restrictive stance on immigration.
In the Copenhagen suburb of Varlose, Frederiksen cast her vote and told reporters her party’s tougher immigration policies was winning back supporters.
“Some Social Democrat voters who have been lost in the last few years, who didn’t support our migration policy, are returning this time,” she said.
As Denmark enjoys robust growth, almost full employment and strong public finances, the Social Democrats focused its campaign on climate issues and the defence of the welfare state, promising to reverse budget cuts to education and healthcare. — AFP
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