For the first time since 1979, the Social Democrats and the Liberals will govern together, with the participation of a new Center Droit Party, led by the former Liberal Prime Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen.
by Anne-Françoise Hiver (Malmö (Sweden), regional correspondent)
To great evils, the big remedies. Upstream of the legislative elections of the 1 November, the outgoing Prime Minister, puts Frederiksen, was committed to forming a government as wide as possible, justified by the multiple crises which Denmark faces.
bet held: Wednesday, December 14, after six weeks of tow -a record -, the leader of the Social Democrats, who has been running the country since 2019 with the support of the left center, presented a coalition agreement concluded with The Liberal Party (Venstre) and the moderates (center right).
Before I even know the content, editorialists and observers of Danish political life evoked a “historic” moment in chorus. First, because the Liberals and the Social Democrats have not governed together since 1979. Then, because the former Prime Minister and ex-boss of the Liberals, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, now at the head of the moderates, founded Six months ago, returned to business by allying with the one who delighted her head of government in June 2019, and with this – Jakob Ellemann -Jeansen – who replaced him in the leadership of the Liberal Party, in September 2019.
“Complex and critical challenges”
In the introduction of the agreement, entitled “Responsibility for Denmark”, the leaders of the three training courses recognize that they have “different positions, priorities and roots” and “this will continue to be thus” . But they add also having a lot in common: “In particular a deep recognition of the fact that Europe and Denmark are faced with more complex and critical challenges than those we have faced for decades.”
They cite the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the threats to security, but also the energy crisis and the economic crisis, as well as the climate urgency and the problem of aging the population, a huge challenge for the Welfare state. So many reasons which, according to them, justify putting their differences aside, to govern together.
Their program is a mixture of “classically red” and “conventionally blue” policies, summed up Ms. Frederiksen. Among the most remarkable announcements: the release of three billion crowns (400 million euros), to finance an increase in wages in the public sector, but also the drop in taxes, except for the richest, which will see theirs increase. The coalition also wishes to advance the objective of carbon neutrality by five years, set at 2045, and it plans to eliminate a public holiday to finance the increase in the defense budget, which should reach 2 % of GDP from 2030.
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