Danish People’s Party Signals Willingness to Compromise for Future Government Cooperation
The Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti, DF) has indicated a willingness to relax some of its core positions in the pursuit of future government cooperation. According to party leader Morten Messerschmidt, the party will unequivocally avoid collaborations with the Moderates (Moderaterne), led by Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. This was made clear in a recent interview with Jyllands-Posten, a prominent Danish newspaper.
Messerschmidt emphasized that any partnership, whether in the form of participating in a government or serving as a supporting party, is unimaginable if Lars Løkke Rasmussen is part of the equation. “I will never make Lars Løkke Rasmussen a minister,” stated the DF leader, underscoring a profound mistrust toward Rasmussen.
Conflicts between the two parties are not new and have surfaced across various political arenas. Key issues include the repeal of the Great Prayer Day (store bededag, a public holiday in Denmark), immigration policy, and the conditions for aging workers and pensioners. Messerschmidt referred to a significantly different approach on these topics, combined with a personal aversion to Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who has distanced himself from previous policies of the Liberal Party (Venstre) that were influenced by DF.
Recent polling data from the analysis institute Voxmeter indicates that the traditional “blue bloc,” consisting of Venstre, the Conservative Party (De Konservative), Liberal Alliance, Danish People’s Party, and Denmark Democrats (Danmarksdemokraterne), is projected to secure only 71 seats in the Folketing (Danish Parliament), which is far from a majority. Venstre is currently part of the SVM government coalition, but Messerschmidt anticipates that the party will return to the blue bloc before the next election.
In efforts to strengthen the blue bloc, Danish People’s Party is prepared to make some significant concessions. For instance, they will refrain from demanding Denmark’s withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights and will no longer insist that leaving the EU is a prerequisite for participating in a government. “We are not going to abandon this as the party’s policy – but it is clear that we are willing to compromise,” Messerschmidt asserted.
This signals a substantial strategic shift for the Danish People’s Party, which has been known for its strict demands in these areas, and it may have implications for future government negotiations.