It was called VLAK, the intended minority government of the right-leaning Liberal Party, the Liberal Alliance and the Conservatives with the support of the immigration-critical Denmark Democrats and the centrist Moderates. But the plans fell through when the Moderates' leader, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, did not want to support such a bourgeois government.
"These are things that require political discussions. I don't think I've wasted time. I've been working around the clock in recent weeks," says Troels Lund Poulsen at a press conference.
New chance for Frederiksen?
Troels Lund Poulsen will meet King Frederik X at Amalienborg on Friday evening to formally announce his decision.
According to both DR and TV2, the king will receive the party leaders on Saturday and then give a new party leader the task of forming a government.
It will likely be outgoing Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) who gets another chance. She tried for over a month to form a government, but gave up in early May.
Lars Løkke Rasmussen will at least give her his vote when asked by the king.
"It feels right that there will be a government with Mette Frederiksen as Prime Minister," he tells TV2.
Harsh right-wing criticism
Friday's breakup in the negotiations came when Lars Løkke Rasmussen, during a meeting with the Venstre leader, urged the Venstre leader, Troels Lund Poulsen, to try to form a center-right government.
"We can conclude that he has not been able or willing to do so. Instead, we have been asked to support a minority government based on far-right politics."
Løkke said, according to DR; according to his own statement, he then went home.
The criticism from the right is harsh.
Conservative group leader Mette Abildgaard writes on X that "The bourgeois-minded are the big losers tonight," while Denmark Democrats leader Inger Støjberg writes on the platform that Løkke "is turning towards the far left."
