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last mo.

Frederiksen Reels as Danish Social Democrats Lose Copenhagen and Dozens of Councils

The defeat leaves Frederiksen weakened heading into a required national vote by 2026.

Mette Frederiksen doubled down on her predecessor’s hardline stance when she became leader of the Social Democrats
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she has no intention of resigning

Overview

  • The party lost nearly half of the municipalities it previously controlled, including the capital, ending its 122-year hold on Copenhagen.
  • Green Left and the Red-Green Alliance consolidated votes in major cities, with Green Left’s Sisse Marie Welling expected to become Copenhagen’s lord mayor.
  • Right-wing forces advanced across many districts, with the Denmark Democrats and the Danish People's Party recording strong local results.
  • Frederiksen said she will remain as prime minister and party leader even as her approval rating slid to 36% in October, according to YouGov.
  • Analysts link the setbacks to surging living costs, housing shortages and discontent with restrictive asylum and integration policies, as parties refocus before a national election due by November 1, 2026, with tax cuts planned in the new budget.