Even stevens in last-minute poll before Danish General Election

Three days til the election and new figures reveal a stalemate between the red and blue block

It promises to be an exciting final sprint heading into the final week of the Danish General Election, as politicians make their final push ahead of the nation’s verdict at the polls this Thursday.

There are now just three days until election day and the figures reveal a dead heat between the red and blue blocs, according to the latest Voxmeter poll.

While the red bloc remains the favourite with 50.3 percent of the vote, the blue bloc is only a little behind on 49.5 percent.

This gives Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt (S) and the rest of the red bloc 88 seats, while Venstre leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his allies hold 87 seats.

The poll currently stands as follows:

– Socialdemokraterne: 26.9 pct/ 47 mandates (24.8 pct in 2011 – 2.1 GAIN)
– Venstre: 22.4 / 40 (26.7 – 4.3 LOSS)
– Dansk Folkeparti: 16.2 / 29 (12.3 – 3.9 GAIN)
– Enhedslisten: 7.6 / 13 (6.7 – 0.9 GAIN)
– Liberal Alliance: 7.5 / 13 (5.0 – 2.5 GAIN)
– Socialistisk Folkeparti: 6.6 / 12 (9.2 – 2.6 LOSS)
– Radikale: 4.6 / 8 (9.5 – 4.9 LOSS)
– Alternativet: 4.6 / 8 (4.6 GAIN)
– Konservative: 2.7 / 5 (4.9 – 2.2 LOSS)
– Kristendemokraterne: 0.7 / 0 (0.8 – 0.1 LOSS)
– Others: 0.1 / 0 (-)  (0.1 GAIN)

Red bloc: 50.3 percent/ 88 mandates

Blue bloc: 49.5 percent/ 87 mandates

Voxmeter’s survey was conducted among 1,033 voters during the period June 12-14.

As always, there is some statistical uncertainty, and Voxmeter has calculated it to be between 0.2 and 2.7 percentage points.

Support parties criticising Thorning-Schmidt
However, with the campaign drawing to a close, Thorning-Schmidt has come under fire, as support parties SF and Enhedslisten criticise the government for not giving a clear answer as to who is affected by the reforms.

Enhedslisten has demanded that Thorning-Schmidt give voters some answers before a new S-R government is implemented.

“Many unemployed, early retirees and people on long-term sick leave have been hit hard by the government’s current reforms,” Enhedslisten spokesperson Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen told Jyllands-Posten.

“The people deserve a clear answer as to whether they will see any positive change after the next election.”

This represents the first serious attack by an ally in the election campaign, in which Enhedslisten along with SF and Alternativet will need to support Thorning-Schmidt for the red bloc to win the election.

One in four Danes are last-minute voters
Despite the campaign entering its final stage, experts predict that many voters are still undecided about which box to tick on Thursday.

According to a new study by Professor Jørgen Goul Andersen from Aalborg University, around one in four voters will wait until the last minute to make up their mind.

This follows the pattern of the 2011 elections, in which 28 percent of the voters waited until the final days of the campaign.

For this reason, Andersen believes that the many polls currently flooding the media landscape should be interpreted with caution, particularly following last month’s UK election for which a hung parliament was predicted, not the Conservative majority that ensued.

“I would be careful to assume that people have decided just yet, and I would not go and bet my money based on the polls being similar to what we will see on election day,” he told Althingi.

Talking of betting, Rasmussen remains the marginal favourite to be Danish prime minister following the election. He is a best price 4/5 while Thorning-Schmidt is available at 5/4. 

 

 




  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.


  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.