Lengthy government formation marks Constitution Day speeches

Denmark's political landscape is still adjusting after the formation of a new government, which took a record 69 days and three rounds of royal negotiations following the March general election. This protracted process became a focal point for several party leaders delivering speeches across the country on Constitution Day.

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Today marks 177 years since Denmark got its first constitution. Around the same time as the government negotiations began, the leader of the Social Liberals, Martin Lidegaard, began his speech.

Martin Lidegaard, leader of the Social Liberal Party (De Radikale), kicked off his speech in Birkerød with a remark that drew laughter from the audience, referencing the 177 years since Denmark's first constitution and the recent, lengthy government formation talks. The timing of his comments, coinciding with the start of the government negotiations, highlighted the public's awareness of the political standstill.

Similarly, Pia Olsen Dyhr, leader of the Socialist People's Party (SF) and the newly appointed Minister for Economic Affairs and the Interior, addressed the prolonged negotiations in her speech at Metalskolen near Slangerup. She acknowledged that while the 10-week wait for a new government might have seemed excessively long to many, the outcome of the election had presented a complex parliamentary puzzle.

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It may be that Denmark had to wait about 10 weeks for a new government. It may be that many thought it was just too long.

"The Danes had voted in a way that, in terms of parliamentary possibilities, most resembled a game of Mikado," Dyhr explained, drawing a parallel between the delicate balancing act required to form a government and the popular dexterity game. Her statement humorously captured the intricate and challenging nature of the coalition-building process that ultimately led to the current government's establishment.

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But the Danes had actually cast their votes in a way that, in terms of parliamentary possibilities, most resembled a game of Mikado.