COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Danes began voting on Tuesday in an election that may hand Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen a third term thanks to her staunch line against US President Donald Trump over Greenland even though cost-of-living worries have hurt her leftist credentials.
Opinion polls show her Social Democrats are headed for their weakest result since before World War Two: many Danes blame Frederiksen for not doing enough to protect their Nordic welfare model, while others point to growing weariness after nearly seven years of her leadership.
Frederiksen, 48, called the vote months before an October deadline, in what observers said was an effort to capitalise on an uptick in popularity when Trump’s rhetoric about controlling Greenland intensified in January and he refused to rule out military force.
But the Greenland issue has since moved to a less heated diplomatic track and has been overtaken by domestic concerns including a proposal for a wealth tax and debates about immigration.
Voting starts at 8 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) and polling stations close at 8 p.m., with exit polls due shortly after.
