The Parties’ Fundamental Premise Must Be Challenged

The first party leaders’ debate of the 2026 parliamentary elections.

Mette Frederiksen stated that Denmark must continue rearming and help protect Europe from the Russian war machine in the east, threats from the west, and the risk of terrorism from the south. She emphasized that security policy will remain the very foundation of Danish politics for many years to come.

This was the first point in her list of policies described as fixed and entirely non negotiable if the Social Democratic Party continues in government after the March 24 election. She made these remarks when announcing the election at midday on Thursday.

She further stressed that the election would be decisive, as the coming four years will determine how Danes and Europeans stand on their own, define their relationship with the United States, rearm to secure peace on the continent, preserve European unity, and safeguard the future of the Danish Realm.

Thus, the central premise has been firmly established.

The election campaign has been framed as a choice between Mette´-or-chaos.

This assumption also served as the unchallenged foundation of the first party leaders’ debate broadcast Thursday evening on DR and TV2. Not one of the twelve party leaders questioned it.

Instead, it was used as leverage in arguments concerning various elements of economic and welfare policy. The enormous failure of the Red Green Alliance on this decisive issue was striking.

Regardless of how many seats each party wins, and regardless of which government emerges after March 24, rearmament and war preparation appear set to be the clear winners.

The election announcement was not unexpected, and the strategic timing in connection with the so called food check has been widely understood. No sooner had the election been called than endless discussions began about seat distributions, parliamentary patterns, and possible government coalitions.

Mette Frederiksen has clearly declared her openness to any government constellation, as long as she remains prime minister. The campaign is therefore staged as a question of Mette´-or-chaos.

The campaign will likely revolve around attempts to pull the Social Democrats back toward what is referred to as the red bloc, in order to form a red government instead of a centrist one. However, claiming that the Social Democratic Party today guarantees red policies is misleading. It does not even -function- as a bulwark against the advance of right wing forces.

The political agenda of the campaign has not yet fully taken shape, and everything is in play, even the reinstatement of the abolished Great Prayer Day holiday is being discussed in the competition for marginal votes that could prove decisive.

Reintroducing the wealth tax that the Social Democrats abolished in the 1990s has already become a topic, as have retirement and pension issues that could mobilize low paid and worn out working class groups. Inequality will also be presented as a central project to ensure the Social Democrats return to government, despite the inequality producing policies they have pursued.

A strict immigration policy and competition over who can move furthest to the right, stigmatize certain population groups, and promote a hard law and order agenda will also feature prominently.

Judging by the first debates, the well being of children and young people and the public school system may become recurring themes, potentially opening space for teachers, parents, children, and youth to exert pressure.

The key question remains whether it is possible to generate public opinion, activity, and movement that break with the top down and media driven campaign design, and create room for social forces and movements struggling for an entirely different agenda. Will it be possible to push the most urgent working class issues onto the agenda, along with major questions largely relegated to political oblivion, such as the genocide in Palestine and climate policy.

A possible starting point:

Mette Frederiksen stated at the election announcement that the coming four years will determine how Denmark defines its relationship with the United States.

The challenge is clear. Every candidate seeking election to Parliament should be asked: Will you work to repeal the agreement allowing US military bases on Danish soil?

https://arbejderen.dk/leder/partiernes-grundpraemis-maa-udfordres/

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