Dem dey vote for Denmark today as di general election dey hold for di kontri. Di election dey tight well-well, but di current Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dey lead for di polls. Di woman wey be Social Democrat don dey for power since 2019, and pipo dey praise am for how she stand gidigba against US President Donald Trump wey wan take Greenland.
Greenland na autonomous territory wey belong to Denmark, but Trump don dey talk say America need am for national security. Even though dis mata don cause plenty wahala, e no be di main tin wey dem dey talk for di campaign. Instead, dem dey focus on mata like cost of living, immigration, and environment.
Di latest opinion polls show say di left-wing bloc get small lead over di right-wing bloc, but none of dem go get majority for di 179-seat parliament. Elisabet Svane, political analyst for Danish newspaper Politiken, talk say “Di future composition of di government dey very uncertain, but e likely say we go end up with Frederiksen as head of government.” She add say “Pipo fit no really like am, but dem see am as di right leader.”
Svane explain say Frederiksen “na unifying figure for world wey full of insecurity, and Danes dey quite anxious – dem get Greenland mata, Ukraine war, and mystery drones wey fly over Scandinavia last year.” Ole Waever, political science professor for University of Copenhagen, talk say e hard to imagine right-wing government because e go need to unite broad swathe from far right to centrist parties wey no dey on good terms with far-right.
Polling stations open by 8pm New Zealand time and go close by 8am tomorrow. Dem go publish exit polls wen voting finish, and final results go come out about four hours later. Di four overseas seats wey Denmark get for two autonomous territories – two for Greenland and two for Faroe Islands – fit tip di balance if di election result dey very close.
Di centrist Moderate party, wey Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen dey lead, fit also prove decisive if tins go down to di wire. Rasmussen na two-time former prime minister wey get plenty experience.
For Greenland capital Nuuk, di campaign don generate more interest than usual, with more than 20 candidates wey dey stand. Juno Berthelsen, member of Greenland local parliament and leader of Naleraq party wey wan cut ties with Denmark ASAP, talk say “I think dis election go kind of show us di direction going forward.” Several of di party members don meet with Trump Administration.
Greenland main political parties all wan independence from Denmark, but Naleraq rivals dey favour more measured process. Greenland Business Minister Naaja Nathanielsen, candidate for left-wing IA party, talk say fear of US don be central to campaign for Greenland. She talk say “Due to di fact say US don show such aggression, you go find bigger interest for really trying to push di Greenlandic narrative for Danish parliament.”
For metropolitan Denmark, Greenland no get much attention for di campaign. Clemens Duval Thomsen, 21-year-old voter, tell AFP say “Greenland na part of Denmark and we need to take care of am, but e no be something I think about wen I go vote.”
For di wealthy nation of six million pipo, di campaign don focus on domestic issues including inflation, welfare state, and high nitrate levels for water from agriculture. For kontri wey far-right don heavily influence policy since late 1990s, immigration don also be hot topic, with Social Democrats advocating even tighter regulations.
Di far-right Danish People’s Party, wey slump for 2022 election but don see upswing for opinion polls, dey in favour of ending permanent residence permits. Frederiksen don also defend as “fair” proposal to deny non-essential healthcare to pipo of foreign origin wey threaten medical personnel. She talk say “E get to be dis way: in addition to di formal punishment for judicial system, we dey say, ‘You no get place here’.”
Mette Frederiksen embody di revamped Social Democrats, committed to hard line on migration to defend kontri cherished welfare state. Di 48-year-old don be MP since age of 24 and take over as leader of Denmark biggest political party for 2015 after kontri first woman Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt step down after election loss.
Frederiksen first head minority government made up exclusively of Social Democrats from 2019 to 2022. Initially, dem hail am for government handling of Covid-19 pandemic but she run into trouble with wetin become known as “mink crisis” – government-ordered cull of roughly 17 million minks over health concerns wey dem rule illegal.
Frederiksen don lead left-right coalition for her second term, adopting tougher migration policies to counter rise of far-right. She don give solid support to Ukraine and square off against US President Donald Trump over him bid to annex Greenland. She come from dyed-in-the-wool Social Democratic family as daughter of typographer and pre-school teacher.
Troels Lund Poulsen, 49-year-old Venstre leader, throw him hat into di ring shortly after Frederiksen call election end of February. He don spend four years working alongside Frederiksen, first as Economy Minister before moving to Defence. Now he wan lead right-wing coalition to power, saying he fear left-wing coalition led by current Prime Minister go “swamp Danes and our businesses with new, high taxes.”
Unlike Frederiksen, Lund Poulsen no dey inclined to share him life on social media. While he get years of experience for several cabinets, few expect di current Deputy Prime Minister to be candidate for top job according to Danish media. He don acknowledge say he even consider withdrawing from political life for 2022, saying he don exhausted.
Dem describe am as uncompromising Defence Minister, and he don oversee beginning of Denmark rearmament in response to perceived threat from Russia and tensions over Greenland.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen, wey dem widely know as Lokke, don already serve as Prime Minister twice and seem at home for spotlight. He recently post photo of himself on Instagram with goat, wey commentators interpret as him desire to proclaim himself “GOAT” (Greatest Of All Time).
Seasoned Foreign Minister Lokke don dey for front line for recent negotiations after Trump insist US need to take control of Greenland. Born for central Denmark to stay-at-home mother and father wey be accountant, he train to be lawyer before entering parliament for 1994. He be member of Venstre for 40 years but leave di party for 2021 to create Moderates party, wey den manage to become part of Frederiksen government after dem first election campaign for 2022.
Skilful politician Lokke don leave everyone guessing as to whether he really wan be PM. Di veteran don weather many political storm, including scandal over him use of party funds to buy expensive suits.
As voting dey continue, all eyes dey on Denmark to see who go lead di kontri for next term. Di election results go determine how Denmark go handle both domestic challenges and international relationships, especially with United States over Greenland and support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.
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