After a disappointing outcome in the recent European Parliament elections, the Danish government is once again at the drawing board to find new ways to regain voter trust. The political leader of the Moderates (Moderaterne), Lars Løkke Rasmussen, participated in the party’s summer group meeting this week, where he presented ideas for a possible revitalization of the government. Løkke emphasized the necessity of connecting more closely with voters and acknowledged that the low support is a problem. “To turn around the dissatisfaction we encountered in the EU election, we must reflect on our political course and actions,” Løkke stated.

Already on election night, he described the result as a “raised finger” from the voters, and at the People’s Meeting (Folkemødet), he suggested that a comprehensive healthcare reform and a green tripartite agreement could be among the steps to improve the government’s position.

During the summer group meeting on Tuesday, the Moderates presented additional proposals. Among other things, the party suggested increased support for families with young children and potentially a new family policy reform, developed through dialogue with both employers and employees. According to Løkke, these initiatives would signal a more citizen-focused policy, but he admits that this alone is not enough to turn the crisis around. “This is not a solution to all the problems, but it is a step in the right direction,” Løkke remarked after the meeting.

He emphasized, however, that the aim of the summer group meeting was not to present the complete plan for the government over the coming years, but rather to initiate a conversation about possible measures.

The election result for the EU election, where the governing parties only received 36.2 percent of the votes compared to 50.9 percent in the 2022 parliamentary elections, has created turmoil in government offices. Especially the Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet) were hit hard by voters’ judgment, as they were overtaken by the Socialist People’s Party (SF). The result has also impacted the internal power balance within the government. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has noted that the election outcome has prompted deeper considerations both politically within the party and for the government overall.