File Photo: Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Opposition leader Lars Loekke Rasmussen arrive for the final televised duel before the election in Copenhagen on June 17, 2015. (Agence France-Presse)
Stockholm:
Danish political parties began talks today on the formation of a coalition government, two days after elections, in which the anti-immigration Danish People's Party's (DPP) emerged as the country's second-biggest force, local media reported.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen of the centre-right Venstre party began consultations today morning, after being tapped by Queen Margrethe II to form a government, replacing the previous centre-left cabinet of outgoing premier Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
"We will begin speaking with all parties represented in parliament, starting with the DPP," said Rasmussen, who is seeking to assemble a coalition of all three rightist parties that together won a majority in Thursday's vote.
Rasmussen was selected to head the new government despite Venstre finishing in third place with 19.5 per cent, behind Thorning-Schmidt's Social Democrats and the DPP.
It is still unclear whether the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic DPP, which polled 21.1 per cent, would accept a position in a Rasmussen-led government.
Party leader Kristian Thulesen Dahl has previously warned the party would not join a cabinet unless it could effectively influence policies.
Following his meeting with Rasmussen today, Thulesen Dahl told Danish press agency Ritzau the effort to form a majority government remained "difficult."
The DPP, which campaigned on tighter immigration rules, higher pensions for low-income earners and more money for healthcare and the elderly, has given previous conservative governments parliamentary support.
But Danish analysts said with the DPP now constituting the second-largest legislative block, Rasmussen needed to bring the party into his cabinet to avoid having to seek its backing on each new piece of legislation.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen of the centre-right Venstre party began consultations today morning, after being tapped by Queen Margrethe II to form a government, replacing the previous centre-left cabinet of outgoing premier Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
"We will begin speaking with all parties represented in parliament, starting with the DPP," said Rasmussen, who is seeking to assemble a coalition of all three rightist parties that together won a majority in Thursday's vote.
Rasmussen was selected to head the new government despite Venstre finishing in third place with 19.5 per cent, behind Thorning-Schmidt's Social Democrats and the DPP.
It is still unclear whether the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic DPP, which polled 21.1 per cent, would accept a position in a Rasmussen-led government.
Party leader Kristian Thulesen Dahl has previously warned the party would not join a cabinet unless it could effectively influence policies.
Following his meeting with Rasmussen today, Thulesen Dahl told Danish press agency Ritzau the effort to form a majority government remained "difficult."
The DPP, which campaigned on tighter immigration rules, higher pensions for low-income earners and more money for healthcare and the elderly, has given previous conservative governments parliamentary support.
But Danish analysts said with the DPP now constituting the second-largest legislative block, Rasmussen needed to bring the party into his cabinet to avoid having to seek its backing on each new piece of legislation.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
