LibDem sister parties form the Danish government

Lib Dem Sister Parties Form the Danish Government

Lessons for Liberals from the new Danish Coalition.

After three months of negotiations, Mette Frederiksen has announced Denmark’s new governing coalition.

Four parties will form the coalition, the Social Democrats, the Green Left, the Moderates, and Radikale Venstre: the Social Liberals. Two of these parties, Radikale and the Moderates, along with the outgoing Venstre party, organised under Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE), to which the Liberal Democrats also belong.

The new formation represents a significant leftward shift as the Green Left and Radikale replace the more conservative Venstre party. Correspondingly, the new government has set out an ambitious policy platform including: slashing VAT on food, expanding environmental protections, and providing free dentistry to all. Importantly for Brits abroad, the removal of Venstre, and other cabinet members, also indicates a retreat from immigration hard-lines.

With ten representatives, Radikale is the smallest member of the coalition. However, they managed to secure key ministries for business, culture, and climate. The party leader, Martin Lindegaard, has put Denmark’s children front and centre, calling for Danes to:

“take responsibility for our common future by providing more and better opportunities for our children and grandchildren, and delivering the green transition that is necessary for the world they will live in.”

In his speech, he honeyed his new partnership as the Four-leaf clover, “Denmark’s Greenest government.” For now, at least, an optimistic spirit rests among politicians and people.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Moderates, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, commented:

“The four-leaf clover government is first and foremost a collaborative government. The ambition is not to unite a bloc, but to unite Denmark.”

A not too subtle hint that he would perhaps have preferred to maintain the cross-bloc grand coalition of the previous government. Nevertheless, he also underscored his parties central principle of keeping the political extremes out of government:

“That’s why we reach out to everyone who wants to help create solutions. To everyone who wants to take responsibility. To everyone who believes more in progress than in fear.”

Liberal Democrats, at home and abroad, should pay attention. For there will be lessons to be learned from this coalition. It will be particularly instructive to see how newcomers Radikale adjust to life in government. We will see what socialists, liberals and centrists can achieve when they present a bold social platform. Or, we will see how they splinter.

For Liberal Democrats, memories of our own coalition days are fraught. The Cameron-Clegg government of 2010 is controversial, to say the least. But coalition mustn’t become a dirty word.

With polls predicting a hung parliament at the next election, and with five parties now within 10 points in the polls, it is not impossible that British politics will transform from a two-party system to a system of blue and red blocs. Even at this early stage, it is a real possibility that the Liberal Democrats could help form the next UK government. This scenario becomes even more likely should the Labour Party ever follow through on their promise of proportional representation. 

In this climate, it would not be premature for members to consider who they could work with, and to what ends. Across the UK, our local councillors exemplify this spirit.

Success for the coalition means progress for Denmark. Therefore, we should wish held og lykke to our Danish sisters, and watch carefully.

If you are a British citizen living abroad and want to get involved, email info@libdemsineurope.org for more information.