THE PERILS OF POLITICAL COMPROMISE (3)

The new Danish Government that emerged from the election on 15 September has got off to a poor start. Protracted negotiations amongst the left of centre parties produced a three-party minority Government requiring the support of the very left-wing Enhedlisten for a Parliamentary majority; but public opinion gave it an immediate thumbs down. Public opinion has continued to go the wrong way, as the Social Democrats and Socialists in particular have had to deal with a succession of accusations of broken election promises. Some of these are tiny; and all election promises have of course to be viewed against post-election political arithmetic. But the damage has been done.

Life has even got a bit difficult for Enhedslisten. Today they came to an agreement with the Government on next year's budget; in these straightened times, a deficit of nearly kr.100 billion on revenues of just over kr.600 billion. This is the first time in their history that Enhedslisten have EVER voted in favour of a Government budget; and in the way of these things, it required the dropping of some issues that were dear to their hearts and the acceptance of things they wanted to get rid of (such as more money for the Royal Family). The hitherto ideological purists are now caught in the treacle of political compromise; will it hurt them?

Things are also likely to get worse for the Government before they get better, and not just because of the poor economic situation. On 1 January Denmark takes over the Chairmanship of the E.U. Council of Ministers for the first time since the great expansion into Eastern Europe of a decade ago. The Euro has got problems, which Denmark must help to try and solve, despite not being in the Euro zone itself. Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and her Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal will have a difficult six months.

The eagle-eyed will have noted that one Government party is missing from this post. The Radikale Venstre, under Margrethe Vestager, are rapidly acquiring a Teflon-like quality.

Walter Blotscher