Denmark: Social Democrats Gain Approval in Denmark (Epinion Poll from 26.02.2026)

According to Epinion, 12 parties are projected to surpass the electoral threshold and enter the Danish parliament: Socialdemokraterne with 39 representatives, Socialistisk Folkeparti with 25 representatives, Liberal Alliance with 19 representatives, Venstre with 16 representatives, Dansk Folkeparti with 15 representatives, Danmarksdemokraterne with 14 representatives, Konservative Folkeparti with 12 representatives, De Rød-Grønne with 12 representatives, Moderaterne with 10 representatives, Radikale Venstre with 7 representatives, Alternativet with 6 representatives and H with 4 representatives.

The Danish Parliament, known as the Folketing, comprises 179 members. Of these, 175 seats are allocated within Denmark, with two seats each reserved for the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The electoral system employs proportional representation, aiming for a highly precise alignment between nationwide vote share and seat distribution. This is achieved through a two-tier process involving constituency mandates and 40 compensatory seats. Denmark is also renowned for its high transparency and a strong tradition of cross-political cooperation.

Denmark boasts one of Europe's lowest parliamentary thresholds: a party needs only 2% of the nationwide vote to enter the Folketing. Alternatively, a seat can be secured by winning a direct mandate in a constituency or by achieving a specific number of votes within a regional bloc. This low 2% threshold fosters significant political diversity, ensuring that even smaller parties and emerging political movements gain a voice in the national parliament.

A distinctive feature of Danish politics is 'negative parliamentarism'. This means a government, upon taking office, does not require an active parliamentary majority but merely must not have a majority *against* it. This often leads to the formation of minority governments, which rely on one or more supporting parties to forge agreements on the political agenda. This process compels the government to continuously seek majorities for every piece of legislation in the Folketing, thereby fostering a robust culture of consensus.