"Greenland Is Not for Sale": Denmark's 'Iron Lady' Who Defied Trump Poised to Become Longest-Serving Prime Minister

Danish General Election to Be Held on the 24th

Prime Minister Frederiksen Bets on Snap Election

A Third Term Would Make Her the Longest-Serving Postwar Leader

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, who rose to prominence by standing up to the United States’ attempts to annex Greenland, will take part in the general election to be held on March 24 (local time). With public attention across Europe focused on this early election—called after Frederiksen recovered from a crisis caused by soaring prices and skyrocketing housing costs—her bid is seen as a bold move to consolidate her regained support.

On the 23rd, one day before the Danish general election (local time), citizens are passing in front of the election billboard of Prime Minister and leader of the Social Democrats Mette Frederiksen on a street in Copenhagen. Copenhagen, Denmark = Reuters Yonhap News Agency

During her tenure, Prime Minister Frederiksen firmly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s offer to purchase Greenland, earning her the nickname "the Iron Lady of Denmark." Having become the youngest prime minister in Danish history upon taking office in 2019, Frederiksen is now seeking a third term. If she completes another four-year term, she will set the record as Denmark’s longest-serving prime minister since World War II.

The Social Democrats, currently governing in coalition with the center-right Liberal Party and the centrist Moderates, were initially expected to struggle in this year’s election due to public discontent over surging living and housing costs. However, after overcoming the Greenland crisis and seeing a rise in approval ratings, Frederiksen seized the momentum and called an early general election.

During the campaign, Prime Minister Frederiksen focused on solidifying her traditional base by pledging to introduce a "wealth tax" to expand funding for welfare programs. Major foreign media outlets have analyzed this as a strategy to win back the center-left voters who drifted away due to her strict refugee policies during her term.

Political observers in Denmark predict that the Social Democrats, led by Frederiksen, will retain their position as the largest party in parliament. However, whether she succeeds in securing a third term will depend on the coalition negotiations that follow the election. In particular, the direction of the new government is expected to hinge on which side Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the leader of the centrist bloc, chooses to support—making him widely considered the "kingmaker" of this election.

Meanwhile, this general election will see 12 parties competing for a total of 179 seats, including those allocated to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Depending on the outcome, significant changes are also expected in the future policy direction of the Nordic welfare model.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.