Politics of Denmark
Encyclopedia
The Politics of Denmark
takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
, representative democratic, constitutional monarchy
, in which the Prime Minister
is the head of government
, and of a multi-party system
. The Monarch is the head of state
and plays a largely ceremonial role with reserve powers.
Executive power
is exercised by the government
, with the prime minister acting as primus inter pares
. Legislative power is vested in both the government
and the Danish Parliament
, Folketinget.
has a multi-party system
and no single party has held an absolute majority in parliament since the beginning of the 20th century. Since only four post-war governments have enjoyed a majority in parliament, government bills
rarely become law without negotiations and compromise with both supporting and opposition parties. Hence the Danish parliament tends to be more powerful than legislatures in other EU
countries. The constitution
does not grant the judiciary power of judicial review of legislation, however the courts have asserted this power with the consent of the other branches of government. Since there are no constitutional or administrative court
s, the Supreme Court
deals with a constitutional dimension.
The degree of transparency
and accountability
is reflected in the public’s high level of satisfaction with the political institutions, while Denmark is also regularly considered one of the least corrupt countries in the world by international organizations.
On many issues the political parties tend to opt in for a co-operation, and the Danish state welfare
model receives a broad parliamentary support. This ensures a focus on public-sector efficiency as well as devolved responsibilities of local government on regional and municipal levels.
Queen Margrethe II
(Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid) (born 16 April 1940) has ruled as Queen Regnant and head of state since 14 January 1972.
In accordance with the Danish Constitution the Danish Monarch, as head of state
, is the theoretical source of all executive
and legislative power. However, since the introduction of parliamentary sovereignty
in 1901, a de facto
separation of powers
has been in effect.
The text of the Danish constitution dates back to 1849. Therefore it has been interpreted by jurists to suit modern conditions. In a formal sense, the Monarch retains the ability to deny giving a bill
royal assent
. In order for a bill to become law, a royal signature, as well as a countersignature by a government minister, is required. The Monarch also chooses and dismisses the Prime Minister, although in modern times this has become a no-option. Today a dismissal would cause a constitutional crisis. On 28 March 1920, King Christian X was the last Monarch to exercise the power of dismissal, sparking the 1920 Easter Crisis
. All royal powers called Royal Prerogative
, such as patronage to appoint ministers and the ability to declare war and make peace, are exercised by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, with the formal consent of the Queen. When a new government is to be formed, the Monarch calls the party leaders to a conference of deliberation, where the latter advise the Monarch. On the basis of the advice the Monarch then appoints the party leader who commands a majority of recommendation to lead negotiations for forming a new government.
According to the principles of constitutional monarchy, today the Monarch has an essentially ceremonial role, restricted in his or her exercise of power by the convention of parliamentary democracy and the separation of powers. However, the monarch does continue to exercise three formal rights: the right to be consulted; the right to advise; and the right to warn. Pursuant to these ideals, both the Prime Minister and the Cabinet attend the regular meeting of the Council of State
.
The Government performs the executive functions of the Kingdom. After the appointment of a party leader to form a new government the Prime Minister-elect together with the leaders of his coalition partners selects the other Ministers who make up the Government and act as political heads of the various government departments. Cabinet members are occasionally recruited from outside parliament.
Since 3 October 2011, Helle Thorning-Schmidt
has been Prime Minister in Denmark.
As known in other parliamentary systems of government, the executive, i.e. the Government, is accountable to parliament. Under the Danish constitution, no government may remain in office with a majority against it. This is called negative parliamentarism, as opposed to the principle of positive parliamentarism, which they have in some other parliamentary systems, for instance Germany. Under the principle of positive parliamentarism a government needs to get a majority through a vote of confidence in parliament. It is due to the principle of negative parliamentarism and due to the proportional representation system in elections that Denmark is often saddled with minority governments. Nevertheless, minority governments in Denmark sometimes have strong parliamentary majorities if they can form a parliamentary support basis among other parties. The government of Venstre (liberal Party) and Conservatives thus had stable parliamentary support from the Danish People's party since 2001, even though this party is not a member of the government.
Unlike many of bigger countries in the European Union
Denmark has a long tradition for minority-governments. The current coalition government between the Social Democrats
, the Social Liberal Party
and the Socialist People's Party is a minority-government, based on the support of the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) and a handful of independent members of parliament. Because of this tradition it has historically been common practice to cooperate among the two sides in the parliament. The last government, dating back to 2001, has been heavily criticised for breaking this tradition as many of the major decisions e.g. the decision to join the War in Iraq, the Regional Reform, and all the Finance Laws upon which the political and economic foundations are based each year have only had a small majority in the parliament.
for the relevant department or portfolio. In theory all Ministers are equal and may not command or be commanded by a fellow minister. Constitutional practice does however dictate, that the Prime Minister is primus inter pares
, first among equals. Unlike many other countries, Denmark has no tradition of employing junior Ministers.
A department acts as the secretariat to the Minister. Its functions comprises overall planning, development and strategic guidance on the entire area of responsibility of the Minister. The Ministers' decisions are carried out by the permanent and politically neutral civil service
within the department. Unlike some democracies, senior civil servants remain in post upon a change of Government. The head of the department civil servants is the Permanent Secretary
. The majority of civil servants in fact work in executive agencies which are separate operational organizations reporting to the Minister.
Also the Minister has his own private secretariat as well as communications personnel. Unlike normal civil servants, the communication staff is partisan and do not remain in their posts upon changes of Government.
(a house of lords, landowners and industrials). With the constitutional reform of 1953 Landstinget was abolished leaving only Folketinget.
All parties receiving more than 2% of the votes are represented in parliament. Comparatively, this is quite low; in Sweden the minimum level of support necessary for getting into parliament is 4%. Often, this has led to the representation of many parties in parliament, and correspondingly complex/unstable government majorities. However, during the last decade the political system has been one of stable majorities and rather long government tenures.
as well as a system of allotment is indirectly prescribed in the constitution, ensuring a balanced distribution of the 179 seats. 135 members are elected by proportional majority in constituencies while the remaining 40 seats are allotted in proportion to the total number of votes a party or list receives. The Faroe Islands
and Greenland
elect 2 members each.
All parties and lists receiving more than 2% of the total vote are guaranteed parliamentary representation. As a consequence of the system, the number of votes required to be elected to parliament varies across the country; it generally requires fewer votes to be elected in the capital of Copenhagen
than it does being elected in less populous areas.
The voting system ensures a multi-party parliament with currently eight parties represented in parliament. The Prime Minister's
Social Democrats
received 24.8% of the total vote in the 2011 general elections, making it the second-largest party with 44 seats. The smallest party in parliament is the Conservative People's Party
which received 4.9% of the total vote, equivalent to 8 seats.
The participation of the electorate in general elections normally lies above 85%.
, the Social-Democratic Party
, the Liberal Party
and the Social-Liberal Party. However, demographics have been in favor of other and younger parties, which has led to a constant process of policy development and gradual renewal amongst, but not limited to, the four old parties.
None of the parties have exactly the same organization. It is however common for a party to have: An annual convention which approves manifesto
s and elects party chairmen; a board of leaders; an assembly of representatives as well as a number of local branches with their own organization. In most cases the party members in parliament form their own group with autonomy to develop and promote party politics in parliament and between elections.
, who, as well, was charged with the overall administration of the justice system. On accusations of nepotism
and in-group bias
, the Ministry in 1999 setup two quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations
responsible for appointments and administration. Judges may only be removed from office on grounds of gross misconduct or lasting physical or psychological illnesses.
is a person who is elected by parliament to control the government by inspecting institutions under government control, primarily places where citizens are deprived of their personal freedom, including but not limited to, prisons and psychiatric hospitals. Ombudsmanden has no power to personally act against the government, but he can, as any other citizen, ask the courts to take up cases where the government might be violating Danish law.
Ombudsmanden can criticize the government after an inspection and bring matters to public attention, and the government can choose to act upon his criticism or choose to ignore it, with whatever costs it might have towards the voters and the parliament.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
, representative democratic, constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
, in which the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Denmark
The Prime Minister of Denmark is the head of government in Danish politics. The Prime Minister is traditionally the leader of a political coalition in the Folketing and presides over the cabinet....
is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and of a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
. The Monarch is the head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and plays a largely ceremonial role with reserve powers.
Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government
Government of Denmark
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy with a representative democracy based on a unicameral parliamentary system. The affairs of Government are decided by a Cabinet of Ministers, which is led by a Prime Minister...
, with the prime minister acting as primus inter pares
Primus inter pares
Primus inter pares is Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.When not used in reference to a specific title, it may indicate that the person so described is formally equal, but looked upon as an authority of special importance by their peers...
. Legislative power is vested in both the government
Government of Denmark
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy with a representative democracy based on a unicameral parliamentary system. The affairs of Government are decided by a Cabinet of Ministers, which is led by a Prime Minister...
and the Danish Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
, Folketinget.
Political forces
DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
has a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
and no single party has held an absolute majority in parliament since the beginning of the 20th century. Since only four post-war governments have enjoyed a majority in parliament, government bills
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
rarely become law without negotiations and compromise with both supporting and opposition parties. Hence the Danish parliament tends to be more powerful than legislatures in other EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
countries. The constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
does not grant the judiciary power of judicial review of legislation, however the courts have asserted this power with the consent of the other branches of government. Since there are no constitutional or administrative court
Administrative court
Greece, as a civil law country has administrative courts. The establishment of those courts can be found in article 94 of the Constitution of the Hellenic Republic 1975, as revised in 2001. The administrative courts are composed from districts Courts of First Instance, district Courts of Appeal and...
s, the Supreme Court
Courts of Denmark
The Danish Supreme Court is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in Denmark. The Kingdom of Denmark, consisting of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another, and...
deals with a constitutional dimension.
The degree of transparency
Transparency (humanities)
Transparency, as used in science, engineering, business, the humanities and in a social context more generally, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Transparency is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed...
and accountability
Accountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
is reflected in the public’s high level of satisfaction with the political institutions, while Denmark is also regularly considered one of the least corrupt countries in the world by international organizations.
On many issues the political parties tend to opt in for a co-operation, and the Danish state welfare
Welfare economics
Welfare economics is a branch of economics that uses microeconomic techniques to evaluate economic well-being, especially relative to competitive general equilibrium within an economy as to economic efficiency and the resulting income distribution associated with it...
model receives a broad parliamentary support. This ensures a focus on public-sector efficiency as well as devolved responsibilities of local government on regional and municipal levels.
Monarchy
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
(Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid) (born 16 April 1940) has ruled as Queen Regnant and head of state since 14 January 1972.
In accordance with the Danish Constitution the Danish Monarch, as head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, is the theoretical source of all executive
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
and legislative power. However, since the introduction of parliamentary sovereignty
Parliamentary sovereignty
Parliamentary sovereignty is a concept in the constitutional law of some parliamentary democracies. In the concept of parliamentary sovereignty, a legislative body has absolute sovereignty, meaning it is supreme to all other government institutions—including any executive or judicial bodies...
in 1901, a de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
separation of powers
Separation of powers
The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...
has been in effect.
The text of the Danish constitution dates back to 1849. Therefore it has been interpreted by jurists to suit modern conditions. In a formal sense, the Monarch retains the ability to deny giving a bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
royal assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
. In order for a bill to become law, a royal signature, as well as a countersignature by a government minister, is required. The Monarch also chooses and dismisses the Prime Minister, although in modern times this has become a no-option. Today a dismissal would cause a constitutional crisis. On 28 March 1920, King Christian X was the last Monarch to exercise the power of dismissal, sparking the 1920 Easter Crisis
Easter Crisis of 1920
The Easter Crisis of 1920 was a constitutional crisis and a significant event in the development of constitutional monarchy in Denmark. It began with the dismissal of the elected government by the reigning monarch, King Christian X, a reserve power which was granted to him by the Danish constitution...
. All royal powers called Royal Prerogative
Royal Prerogative
The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognized in common law and, sometimes, in civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the sovereign alone. It is the means by which some of the executive powers of government, possessed by and...
, such as patronage to appoint ministers and the ability to declare war and make peace, are exercised by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, with the formal consent of the Queen. When a new government is to be formed, the Monarch calls the party leaders to a conference of deliberation, where the latter advise the Monarch. On the basis of the advice the Monarch then appoints the party leader who commands a majority of recommendation to lead negotiations for forming a new government.
According to the principles of constitutional monarchy, today the Monarch has an essentially ceremonial role, restricted in his or her exercise of power by the convention of parliamentary democracy and the separation of powers. However, the monarch does continue to exercise three formal rights: the right to be consulted; the right to advise; and the right to warn. Pursuant to these ideals, both the Prime Minister and the Cabinet attend the regular meeting of the Council of State
Danish Council of State
The Council of State is the privy council of Denmark. The body of advisors to the Danish sovereign, the council is a formal institution, with largely ceremonial functions. Chaired by the sovereign, the council comprises all cabinet ministers and the Crown prince or hereditary princess when he or...
.
Executive
Since 3 October 2011, Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Helle Thorning-Schmidt is a Danish politician and the current Prime Minister of Denmark. She has been leader of the Danish Social Democrats since April 2005 and prime minister since October 2011....
has been Prime Minister in Denmark.
As known in other parliamentary systems of government, the executive, i.e. the Government, is accountable to parliament. Under the Danish constitution, no government may remain in office with a majority against it. This is called negative parliamentarism, as opposed to the principle of positive parliamentarism, which they have in some other parliamentary systems, for instance Germany. Under the principle of positive parliamentarism a government needs to get a majority through a vote of confidence in parliament. It is due to the principle of negative parliamentarism and due to the proportional representation system in elections that Denmark is often saddled with minority governments. Nevertheless, minority governments in Denmark sometimes have strong parliamentary majorities if they can form a parliamentary support basis among other parties. The government of Venstre (liberal Party) and Conservatives thus had stable parliamentary support from the Danish People's party since 2001, even though this party is not a member of the government.
Unlike many of bigger countries in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Denmark has a long tradition for minority-governments. The current coalition government between the Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
, the Social Liberal Party
Social Liberal Party
Social Liberal Party is the name of several political parties around the world. It usually designates a party that is ideologically connected to social liberalism. For more information on liberal parties, see liberal parties....
and the Socialist People's Party is a minority-government, based on the support of the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) and a handful of independent members of parliament. Because of this tradition it has historically been common practice to cooperate among the two sides in the parliament. The last government, dating back to 2001, has been heavily criticised for breaking this tradition as many of the major decisions e.g. the decision to join the War in Iraq, the Regional Reform, and all the Finance Laws upon which the political and economic foundations are based each year have only had a small majority in the parliament.
Government departments
The Danish executive consists of a number of government departments known as Ministries. These departments are led by a cabinet member and known as MinisterMinister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
for the relevant department or portfolio. In theory all Ministers are equal and may not command or be commanded by a fellow minister. Constitutional practice does however dictate, that the Prime Minister is primus inter pares
Primus inter pares
Primus inter pares is Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.When not used in reference to a specific title, it may indicate that the person so described is formally equal, but looked upon as an authority of special importance by their peers...
, first among equals. Unlike many other countries, Denmark has no tradition of employing junior Ministers.
A department acts as the secretariat to the Minister. Its functions comprises overall planning, development and strategic guidance on the entire area of responsibility of the Minister. The Ministers' decisions are carried out by the permanent and politically neutral civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
within the department. Unlike some democracies, senior civil servants remain in post upon a change of Government. The head of the department civil servants is the Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
. The majority of civil servants in fact work in executive agencies which are separate operational organizations reporting to the Minister.
Also the Minister has his own private secretariat as well as communications personnel. Unlike normal civil servants, the communication staff is partisan and do not remain in their posts upon changes of Government.
Legislative
Parliament performs the legislative functions of the Kingdom. As a parliament, it is at the centre of the political system in Denmark and is the supreme and ultimate legislative body answerable to no one. It operates within the confines of the Constitution. The Prime Minister, and the Government in general, are drawn from parliament through the application of the parliamentary principle (there must not be a majority against the government). The government is answerable to parliament through the principle of parliamentary control (question hour, general debates and the passing of resolutions/motions). Ministers can be questioned by members of Parliament about specific questions of government policy. There may be general debates about broader issues of government policy, and these debates may be followed by a motion of no-confidence. The opposition rarely ask for motions of no confidence, as the government is generally certain of its majority. But government policy is often discussed in general in the plenary assembly of Parliament. Since 1953, when the Danish constitution was reformed, parliament has been unicameral.History – in short
With the implementation of the first democratic constitution in 1849, Denmark was given a bicameral parliament, known as the Rigsdag, consisting of Folketinget (a house of commons) and LandstingetLandsting (Denmark)
The Landsting was a house of the Rigsdag in Denmark from 1849 until 1953, when the bicameral system was abolished. The house had powers equal to the Folketing, which made the two houses of parliament hard to distinguish....
(a house of lords, landowners and industrials). With the constitutional reform of 1953 Landstinget was abolished leaving only Folketinget.
Composition
Parliament is composed of 179 seats, whereof two are reserved for the Faroe Islands and two for Greenland. The remaining 175 seats are taken up by MPs from elected in Denmark. All 179 seats are contested in elections held at least every four years and in the present parliament, all seats are taken up by members belonging to a political party.All parties receiving more than 2% of the votes are represented in parliament. Comparatively, this is quite low; in Sweden the minimum level of support necessary for getting into parliament is 4%. Often, this has led to the representation of many parties in parliament, and correspondingly complex/unstable government majorities. However, during the last decade the political system has been one of stable majorities and rather long government tenures.
Proportional representation and elections
Denmark does not use a first-past-the-post voting system based on constituencies. Instead a system of constituency based proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
as well as a system of allotment is indirectly prescribed in the constitution, ensuring a balanced distribution of the 179 seats. 135 members are elected by proportional majority in constituencies while the remaining 40 seats are allotted in proportion to the total number of votes a party or list receives. The Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
and Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
elect 2 members each.
All parties and lists receiving more than 2% of the total vote are guaranteed parliamentary representation. As a consequence of the system, the number of votes required to be elected to parliament varies across the country; it generally requires fewer votes to be elected in the capital of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
than it does being elected in less populous areas.
The voting system ensures a multi-party parliament with currently eight parties represented in parliament. The Prime Minister's
Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Helle Thorning-Schmidt is a Danish politician and the current Prime Minister of Denmark. She has been leader of the Danish Social Democrats since April 2005 and prime minister since October 2011....
Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
received 24.8% of the total vote in the 2011 general elections, making it the second-largest party with 44 seats. The smallest party in parliament is the Conservative People's Party
Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
The Conservative People's Party , also known as Conservatives is a Danish political party.-History:The party was founded 1915 based mostly on its predecessor, Højre , but also on the Free Conservatives and a moderate faction of Venstre , the liberals.The party has participated in several coalition...
which received 4.9% of the total vote, equivalent to 8 seats.
The participation of the electorate in general elections normally lies above 85%.
Political Parties
Denmark has a multiparty system with currently seven parties represented in parliament. The four oldest and in history most influential parties are the Conservative People's PartyConservative People's Party (Denmark)
The Conservative People's Party , also known as Conservatives is a Danish political party.-History:The party was founded 1915 based mostly on its predecessor, Højre , but also on the Free Conservatives and a moderate faction of Venstre , the liberals.The party has participated in several coalition...
, the Social-Democratic Party
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
, the Liberal Party
Venstre (Denmark)
VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
and the Social-Liberal Party. However, demographics have been in favor of other and younger parties, which has led to a constant process of policy development and gradual renewal amongst, but not limited to, the four old parties.
None of the parties have exactly the same organization. It is however common for a party to have: An annual convention which approves manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
s and elects party chairmen; a board of leaders; an assembly of representatives as well as a number of local branches with their own organization. In most cases the party members in parliament form their own group with autonomy to develop and promote party politics in parliament and between elections.
Judiciary
Denmark has an independent and highly professional judiciary. Unlike the vast majority of civil servants, Danish judges are appointed directly by the Monarch. However, since the constitution ensures the independence of the judiciary from Government and Parliament in providing, that judges shall only take into account the laws of the country (i.e. acts, statues and practices), the procedure on appointments is only a formality. Until 1999 appointment of judges was a de facto responsibility of the Ministry of JusticeMinistry of Justice of Denmark
Ministry of Justice of Denmark is the Danish government ministry responsible for the general judicial system, including the police and the prosecution service, the courts of law, and prisons and the probation service...
, who, as well, was charged with the overall administration of the justice system. On accusations of nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
and in-group bias
Ingroup bias
In-group–out-group bias, also called intergroup bias, refers to the phenomenon of in-group favoritism, a preference and affinity for one’s in-group over the out-group, or anyone viewed as outside the in-group. This can be expressed in evaluation of others, linking, allocation of resources and many...
, the Ministry in 1999 setup two quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations
Quango
Quango or qango is an acronym used notably in the United Kingdom, Ireland and elsewhere to label an organisation to which government has devolved power...
responsible for appointments and administration. Judges may only be removed from office on grounds of gross misconduct or lasting physical or psychological illnesses.
Ombudsmanden
OmbudsmandenOmbudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
is a person who is elected by parliament to control the government by inspecting institutions under government control, primarily places where citizens are deprived of their personal freedom, including but not limited to, prisons and psychiatric hospitals. Ombudsmanden has no power to personally act against the government, but he can, as any other citizen, ask the courts to take up cases where the government might be violating Danish law.
Ombudsmanden can criticize the government after an inspection and bring matters to public attention, and the government can choose to act upon his criticism or choose to ignore it, with whatever costs it might have towards the voters and the parliament.
See also
- Constitution of DenmarkConstitution of DenmarkThe Constitutional Act of Denmark is the Kingdom of Denmark's constitution, or fundamental law. Originally verified in 1849, the last revision was signed on 5 June 1953 as "the existing law, for all to unswerving comply with, the Constitutional Act of Denmark".-Idea and structure:The main...
- Monarchies in Europe