Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil has announced her complete withdrawal from Danish politics just four days after failing to secure the mayor's office in Copenhagen. The Social Democratic candidate confirmed her decision following a disappointing personal result in the municipal election.
She stated she would personally clean up after her political career. The candidate described her election performance in Copenhagen as particularly poor.
Rosenkrantz-Theil's political journey toward the mayor's office began last August when she left her government minister position to focus on municipal leadership. She secured the official Social Democratic nomination for Copenhagen mayor in September.
Despite early warnings about the difficulty of winning the mayor's office, she continued advancing controversial proposals. Her December suggestion to increase airport transport costs by 50 kroner drew public attention. By May, she had left parliament entirely to concentrate on the local campaign.
Her campaign faced significant challenges when the Alternative party refused to support any Social Democratic candidate. The same day brought her proposal for more parking spaces for Copenhagen residents and workers.
June marked a critical setback as three left-wing parties formed an electoral alliance excluding the Social Democrats. Rosenkrantz-Theil nevertheless maintained in July that she wouldn't support another candidate for mayor.
Her August proposal for free daycare institutions faced criticism over unclear funding. September brought controversy about free campaign office space from property company Jeudan.
October saw the Social Democrats form an alliance with the Radicals and Moderates in Copenhagen. During the campaign, Rosenkrantz-Theil aggressively targeted SF rival Sisse Marie Welling about her mayoral ambitions.
She maintained an offensive campaign strategy, criticizing the technical and environmental mayor about toxic substance limits at the Lynetteholmen construction site. Her hypothetical preference for a conservative candidate over the Unity List drew additional scrutiny.
Household mailings expressing concern about a purely red majority and Unity List mayor prompted further criticism. The election ultimately ended Social Democratic control of Copenhagen's mayor office after more than a century.
The party achieved just 12.7 percent of Copenhagen votes, dropping 3.0 percentage points from the previous election. SF's Sisse Marie Welling secured the mayor position instead.
Rosenkrantz-Theil briefly accepted the employment, integration, and business mayor position before announcing her complete political withdrawal. Her departure marks a significant moment in Copenhagen's political landscape as the city transitions to new leadership after generations of Social Democratic control.
The election outcome reflects changing urban voter preferences and suggests potential realignment in Danish municipal politics. Copenhagen voters have demonstrated appetite for new approaches to urban challenges including housing, transportation, and environmental policy.