Denmark's Frederiksen gets new chance to form government after centre-right talks fail

COPENHAGEN - Denmark's King Frederik asked caretaker Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Saturday to make a fresh attempt to form a government after centre-right talks led by Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen broke down.

The decision gives Frederiksen, whose Social Democrats remain Denmark's largest party despite heavy election losses, another chance to secure a third consecutive term in office.

Poulsen, leader of the right-wing Liberal Party, had been asked earlier this month to explore government options after Frederiksen's own coalition talks collapsed when the centrist Moderate Party walked away.

Frederiksen is likely to face pressure to make concessions to Moderate Party leader Lars Lokke Rasmussen, whose support is seen as pivotal after the March election left parliament split among 12 parties.

Her Social Democrats won 38 seats in the 179-seat parliament, down from 50 in 2022, making it their worst election result since 1903.

The prolonged negotiations have slowed government decision-making at a sensitive time for Denmark, which is seeking to resolve a crisis in ties with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration over Greenland.

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Terje Solsvik)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 5:54 AM.