"Best possibility": Denmark moves toward forming a new right-leaning minority government
Kyiv • UNN
Troels Lund Poulsen proposes a coalition of three right-wing parties and a reduction in gasoline prices. For the minority government to function, it requires the support of other factions.
Troels Lund Poulsen, leader of the Danish Liberal Party, who is currently leading negotiations on the formation of a new Danish government, stated at a press conference on Tuesday that a coalition of his party, along with the Liberal Alliance and the Conservatives, offers the "best possibility" for forming a new government, UNN reports, citing The Local.
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Tuesday marked the 55th day since the Danish elections on March 24, and the country still remained without a government. However, negotiations finally seem to be nearing completion.
Poulsen stated at a press conference that a coalition consisting of three right-wing parties is the "best possibility for forming a government."
The three parties would have a total of 44 seats. This is significantly fewer than the 90 required for a majority, but it would be sufficient if a majority of parliament does not reject their potential government. Thus, he is proposing a center-right minority government, The Guardian notes.
Consequently, forming the coalition proposed by Poulsen would require the support of the Denmark Democrats, the Danish People's Party, the Moderates, the Citizens' Party, and at least two independent MPs.
The three parties have agreed on a series of policy measures, Poulsen told the media on Tuesday, including increasing Denmark's social welfare by 60 million Danish kroner (€8 million) between now and 2035 and reducing gasoline prices to the minimum level allowed by EU rules.
He said it was "about policy, not people." A key obstacle to this potential government is the leader of the Moderate Party, Lars Løkke Rasmussen. He has demanded that the Moderate Party be present in any possible government and has also called for the formation of a government spanning centrist parties. Neither of these demands would be met by the new government planned by Poulsen.
Without the support of the Moderates, Poulsen's government will fall, the publication writes.
The Liberal leader took over negotiations from Social Democrat leader Mette Frederiksen earlier this month, after the former Danish Prime Minister unsuccessfully tried to form a center-left government or a government uniting centrist parties.
In recent days, Poulsen has held talks with the right-wing "blue parties" — the Social Liberals and Social Democrats — as well as with the independent Moderates.
At the same time, The Guardian notes that Poulsen, leader of the center-right Danish Liberal Party (Venstre), "shocked the political establishment with a surprise announcement in which he said he wanted to form a right-leaning minority government."