Tuesday - November 13, 2007

Danes Re-Elect Current Government 

Even though the Liberal-Conservative government of Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, its hard line stance against immigration may have to change as it might need the support of several minor parties to form a ruling coalition.

Danes re-elected the center-right governing coalition to a third consecutive term Tuesday, endorsing a bloc that campaigned on promises to boost the economy and make immigration harder.

But near-complete official results also suggested Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen might need the backing of a new party headed by a Syrian-born Muslim immigrant that is calling for more humane treatment of asylum-seekers.

That group, New Alliance, hopes to reduce the influence of the government's traditional ally, the nationalist Danish People's Party, known for its hardline stance against immigrants, especially Muslims.

"Everything indicates that the government can continue," Fogh Rasmussen told jubilant supporters of his Liberal Party.

He called it "historic" that a Liberal-led government had been elected to a third term.

Left-wing opposition leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt of the Social Democrats conceded defeat in a tearful speech to her supporters.

"I promised I would beat Anders Fogh Rasmussen. That didn't happen, unfortunately," she said. "Danes need more time before they hand over responsibility to us."

With 99 percent of votes counted, the governing bloc had won 94 of the 179 seats in Parliament, including five for Naser Khader's New Alliance. The opposition got 81 seats.

It was not immediately clear who won the remaining four seats, held by delegates from the semiautonomous territories of Greenland and the Faeroe Islands.

While that result would not change the government's victory, it could decide whether it needs need the support of Khader's party to control a majority in Parliament.

Since 2001, Liberal-Conservative minority governments relied only on the support of the Danish People's Party.

Fogh Rasmussen appeared to invite New Alliance to cooperate with the government. "We'll incorporate the parties that have pointed at me to create the basis for the government," he said. Read more....

Author: The Machiavellian
Technorati Tags: Denmark
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