1988 Danish general election

1988 Danish general election
Danish Realm
← 1987 10 May 1988 1990 →

All 179 seats in the Folketing
90 seats needed for a majority
Turnout85.70%
Party Leader % Seats +/–
Social Democrats Svend Auken 29.82 55 +1
Conservatives Poul Schlüter 19.29 35 −3
SF Gert Petersen 13.01 24 −3
Venstre Uffe Ellemann-Jensen 11.84 22 +3
Progress Pia Kjærsgaard 8.96 16 +7
Social Liberals Niels Helveg Petersen 5.58 10 −1
Centre Democrats Erhard Jakobsen 4.67 9 0
KrF Flemming Kofod-Svendsen 2.04 4 0
Elected in the Faroe Islands
People's Jógvan Sundstein 24.68 1 0
Union Pauli Ellefsen 24.43 1 +1
Elected in Greenland
Siumut Jonathan Motzfeldt 40.07 1 0
Atassut Otto Steenholdt 38.74 1 0
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Largest party within each nomination district and constituency.
Distribution of constituency and levelling seats.
Prime Minister before Prime Minister-elect
Poul Schlüter
Conservatives
Poul Schlüter
Conservatives

General elections were held in Denmark on 10 May 1988,[1] just seven months after the last elections. Prime Minister Poul Schlüter chose to call for an election after the Conservative People's Party-led government fell short of a majority in a foreign policy issue after they failed to come to an agreement with the Social Democrats. In a parliamentary debate, Prime Minister Poul Schlüter accused Svend Auken (the leader of the Social Democrats) of breaking a political deal between the two of them whilst Auken accused Schlüter of lying to the public.

However, the election did not change the balance of power in the Folketing. Common Course failed to cross the 2% percent threshold and lost their four seats. The Centre Democrats and the Christian People's Party left the government (although they continued to support it) and were replaced by the Danish Social Liberal Party. The reason for doing this was that it gave Schlüter a majority in foreign policy issues which had caused this election. Nonetheless, the Centre Democrats and the Christian People's Party continued to support the government.

Voter turnout was 86% in Denmark proper, 70% in the Faroe Islands and 58% in Greenland.[2]

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Denmark proper
Social Democrats992,68229.8255+1
Conservative People's Party642,04819.2935–3
Socialist People's Party433,26113.0124–3
Venstre394,19011.8422+3
Progress Party298,1328.9616+7
Danish Social Liberal Party185,7075.5810–1
Centre Democrats155,4644.6790
Christian People's Party68,0472.0440
Common Course63,2631.900–4
The Greens44,9601.3500
Communist Party of Denmark27,4390.8200
Left Socialists20,3030.6100
Independents3,6330.1100
Total3,329,129100.001750
Valid votes3,329,12999.30
Invalid/blank votes23,5220.70
Total votes3,352,651100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,911,89785.70
Faroe Islands
People's Party5,65524.6810
Union Party5,59724.431+1
Social Democratic Party4,86121.220–1
Republican Party4,69020.4700
Self-Government8973.9100
Christian People's Party8913.8900
Progress Party3211.4000
Total22,912100.0020
Valid votes22,91299.57
Invalid/blank votes1000.43
Total votes23,012100.00
Registered voters/turnout32,71570.34
Greenland
Siumut8,41540.0710
Atassut8,13538.7410
Inuit Ataqatigiit3,62817.2800
Polar Party8213.9100
Total20,999100.0020
Valid votes20,99994.73
Invalid/blank votes1,1695.27
Total votes22,168100.00
Registered voters/turnout38,30157.88
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

See also

References

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p. 525 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p547

Further reading

  • Jespersen, Mary P. S. "A Danish Defence Dilemma: The Election of May 1988," West European Politics (1989) 12#1 pp. 189–195.
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Referendums
  • See also: Elections and referendums in Greenland
  • Faroe Islands