Denmark's Social Democratic Party suffered a major defeat in local elections, losing control of municipalities they had governed for decades. The party lost its position as the country's largest mayor party to the center-right Venstre party.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen acknowledged the disappointing results. She said the party expected some losses but the scale exceeded their predictions. Frederiksen accepted full responsibility as party leader.
Nationally, the Social Democrats received 23.2 percent of votes. This represents a 5.2 percentage point decline compared to the last municipal elections.
The losses included several historic strongholds. In Frederikshavn, the party dropped 31.3 percentage points. This municipality had delivered excellent results for the Social Democrats in the previous election.
Køge witnessed one of the most symbolic defeats. The Social Democrats had governed there since 1921, interrupted only by one conservative period. The party lost 13.2 percentage points, prompting Mayor Marie Stærke to resign. Stærke serves as the party's deputy leader.
Another significant loss occurred in Næstved. The Social Democrats ended 106 years of continuous governance there. Despite remaining the largest party with 31.1 percent support, an 8.1 percentage point drop allowed a coalition of opposition parties to form a majority.
Gladsaxe, a Copenhagen suburb, also fell after more than a century of Social Democratic control. The Socialist People's Party will now lead the municipality. Outgoing mayor Trine Græse described feeling betrayed by former coalition partners.
In Region Midtjylland, the Social Democrats lost regional leadership for the first time since regions were established in 2007. Anders KĂĽhnau will hand over to Venstre's Anders G. Christensen.
The election results reflect broader challenges for center-left parties across Europe. Denmark's Social Democrats have governed nationally since 2019, but local voters expressed dissatisfaction with their performance. The losses may complicate the government's ability to implement national policies at local levels.
Political analysts note the results show voters punishing the governing party amid economic pressures and implementation challenges. The defeat spans both traditional working-class areas and suburban municipalities, indicating widespread discontent.
The Social Democrats now face rebuilding local support while maintaining their national governing coalition. The party must address voter concerns before the next parliamentary election.
Local governance changes will affect policy implementation across healthcare, education, and infrastructure. New mayoral alliances could create friction with national government priorities.
International observers watch Denmark as a bellwether for European social democracy. These local results may influence similar parties across Scandinavia and Germany facing their own electoral tests.