General elections were held in Denmark on 24 March 2026. All 179 seats in the Folketing were up for election, including 175 in Denmark proper, 2 in Greenland, and 2 in the Faroe Islands (the three entities making up the Danish Realm). It was the first election during Frederik X's reign, who became king in 2024 following the abdication of Margrethe II.
The Social Democrats, which led the outgoing Frederiksen II Cabinet, won the most seats of any party, with 38 seats; however, their vote share of 21.9% was their lowest finish since 1903. Venstre and the Moderates, the two other coalition partners, also lost seats. Among the parties that made significant gains were the Green Left, which became the second-largest party, and the Danish People's Party.
The 2022 Danish general election, held on 31 October in the Faroe Islands and on 1 November in Denmark and Greenland, led to a narrow victory for the red bloc. Following the election, a centrist government (Frederiksen II Cabinet), led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and consisting of the Social Democrats (A), Venstre (V) and the Moderates (M), was established.
In the 2025 Danish local elections, the governing parties suffered significant losses, and the Social Democrats lost in Copenhagen after more than 100 years. The governing coalition was thus unpopular going into 2026; however, the role and threats of US President Donald Trump, his proposed United States acquisition of Greenland, and the Greenland crisis affected the decision to hold a snap election, and gave the Social Democrats, and Frederiksen in particular who stood up to Trump, a political boost through the rally 'round the flag effect, as foreign and security issues, in addition to the economy, the cost of living, the environment, and immigration, became significant concerns among voters.
Frederiksen was initially the only official candidate to become Prime Minister of Denmark. The RedâÂÂGreen Alliance (ÃÂ) stated that a red bloc coalition had to be proposed if they were to support the Social Democrats. The Green Left (F) won the most votes in the 2024 European parliament election in Denmark, and Pia Olsen Dyhr argued that the largest party in the red bloc should become prime minister. In December 2025, the RedâÂÂGreen Alliance said that it preferred a Green Left prime minister over a Social Democratic one, although the Green Left did not perceive itself as about to obtain the position.
As multiple early 2024 polls saw the Liberal Alliance (I) being the largest in the blue bloc, political analysts predicted Alex Vanopslagh as a possible Prime Minister candidate. In November 2024, Prime Minister Frederiksen and Danish People's Party (O) leader Morten Messerschmidt commented on their expectation that the former Prime Minister and Moderates leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen could try to regain the position.
On 26 February 2026, Venstre leader and defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen officially announced that he was making himself available to lead a blue bloc government and declared his intention to become Prime Minister. In his announcement, Poulsen emphasized national security, economic responsibility, strengthening core welfare services, tightening immigration policy, improving Denmark's competitiveness, and maintaining defence capabilities in response to changing geopolitical conditions. He cited his experience across seven ministerial posts over two decades and stated that he would seek broad parliamentary cooperation if given the mandate to form a government. Already in 2025, the Conservative People's Party (C) and the Danish People's Party had endorsed Poulsen as the preferred Prime Minister candidate of the blue bloc.
The 179 members of the Folketing are elected in Denmark (175), the Faroe Islands (2), and Greenland (2). The 175 seats in Denmark include 135 seats elected in ten multi-member constituencies of Denmark by proportional representation, using the d'Hondt method (), and 40 leveling seats, allocated to parties in order to address any imbalance in the distribution of the constituency seats (). The main threshold for levelling seats is 2%.
The election campaign began on 26 February 2026, when Prime Minister Frederiksen announced that the election had been called.
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Exit polls and early results showed that the Social Democrats remained the most voted party but that Prime Minister Frederiksen lacked a clear majority; at 21.9%, it was the party's worst result since the 1903 Danish Folketing election. The two other governing parties also suffered losses, with the incumbent government losing its majority; as a result and as is customary, Frederiksen took a caretaker government role and resigned. The Moderates favoured a centrist government with the Social Democrats, while Venstre preferred a government with the blue bloc and opposed participation in another government led by the Social Democrats. The red bloc won a plurality of seats but failed to secure a majority. Despite failing to obtain a majority, one analysis of the result was that the left-leaning parties showed a positive trend in Europe where "standing up to Trump-style politics" or to Trump himself can be a "winning strategy", with Frederiksen favoured to win a third term. The Green Left gained five seats, becoming the second-largest party in the Folketing with 20 seats. Party leader Pia Olsen Dyhr said of the party's "historic" success that the Danish people had provided it with a mandate and she was "ready to negotiate"; however, she made it clear that if welfare and the green transition were not prioritised, the party would remain in opposition. The Danish People's Party tripled its share of the vote.
Election results concluded with neither the red or blue bloc getting a majority and the Moderates (the junior partner of the incumbent government) becoming a potential kingmaker. Conversations to start coalition talks opened on 25 March 2026. Venstre have ruled out a continuation of a government with the Social Democrats, while the Moderates favoured a continuation of a centrist government with the Social Democrats. A formateur would first need to be appointed by King Frederik X, following consultations with all parties, to lead negotiations and determine which parties can form a coalition. Frederiksen stated that if she is tasked, she would look to form a coalition with left-leaning parties, possibly with the Green Left and the centrist Social Liberals, that could potentially be supported by the Moderates and possibly also the Conservatives, who expressed willingness and have not ruled out negotiations to support Frederiksen, which would bring the coalition to a majority.
With both red bloc and blue bloc short of a majority, the Moderates emerged as potential kingmakers. On 25 March, following the announcement of the election results, the parties submitted their recommendations for who should be the formateur. Frederiksen was announced as formateur later that day.
On 25 March 2026, King Frederik X requested Prime Minister Frederiksen, after being appointed as formateur, to lead negotiations with the Green Left and the Social Liberals to try to form a coalition. Frederiksen said she favoured a coalition with the five red-bloc parties and called it the "most realistic option", which would consist of the Social Democrats, Green Left, RedâÂÂGreen Alliance, Social Liberals, and Alternative, with the Moderates joining in as well. While this is mathematically possible, the Moderates leader Rasmussen is not in favour of backing a red-bloc or a blue-bloc government and prefers a compromise on parties from both blocs; it remained unclear if he would accept negotiations to back solely a red-bloc government or a blue-bloc government. Throughout the election period, Rasmussen had ruled out forming a government that includes the RedâÂÂGreen Alliance or one that includes the Danish People's Party.
On 31 March 2026, the MP-elect from the Faroese Social Democratic Party Sjúrður Skaale endorsed Frederiksen for the Prime Minister post.