(Local) With Danes set to vote in general elections no later than June 17th, opposition parties that normally form an allied bloc in parliament could be irreconcilably split over immigration.
On Monday, Morten Østergaard, the leader of the Social Liberal (Radikale Venstre) party, announced that he would no longer support Mette Frederiksen, the leader of the Social Democrats, the largest party in opposition, unless Frederiksen softened her stance on immigration.
The Social Democrats, traditionally a party of social welfare and workers’ rights, has drawn increasing opposition from the other parties on Denmark’s left over its hardline immigration policies.
Citing a need to protect the social welfare system, the Social Democrats have consistently voted with the right-wing coalition government and populist Danish People’s Party over immigration, including voting for divisive bills such as last year’s so-called “burqa ban” and the “paradigm shift” legislation passed in February.
