Following the controversial decision to abolish Great Prayer Day as a public holiday, the Social Democrats are experiencing a significant decline in voter support. This is evident from a new opinion poll by Megafon, where the party sees a serious drop in popularity. The decision to remove Great Prayer Day has had a direct impact on voters’ attitude towards Mette Frederiksen and the Social Democrats, explains Kasper Møller Hansen, a professor at the University of Copenhagen. According to him, many former Social Democratic voters have chosen to support the Socialist People’s Party (SF) due to dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the matter. “Almost all of the Social Democrats’ decline came at the same time as the debate about Great Prayer Day was raging,” says Kasper Møller Hansen. He points out that many voters have perceived the decision as arbitrary and poorly prepared, creating a deep distrust in the government. Venstre (The Left), which is also part of the government, has also experienced a decline, but for different reasons. It is especially the party’s decision to form a government with former political opponents that has created dissatisfaction among voters. The first Great Prayer Day, which is no longer a public holiday, has been a reminder for many of the decisions they are unhappy with. “And it is likely to be like that for some years to come,” adds Kasper Møller Hansen. The poll also shows that the Liberal Alliance is almost the same size as the Social Democrats, while Venstre experiences a dramatic drop to only 6.5 percent of the votes. This development could have significant consequences for the political landscape in Denmark, where voters are clearly signaling their dissatisfaction with the current governing parties. It will be interesting to see how the political parties will react to this challenge in the coming months.

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