2001 Danish general election

2001 Danish general election

20 November 2001
All 179 seats in the Folketing 90 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	87.15%
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– Venstre Anders Fogh Rasmussen 31.25 56 +14 Social Democrats Poul Nyrup Rasmussen 29.08 52 −11 DPP Pia Kjærsgaard 12.00 22 +9 Conservatives Bendt Bendtsen 9.07 16 0 SF Holger K. Nielsen 6.37 12 −1 Social Liberals Marianne Jelved 5.19 9 +2 Red–Green Collective leadership 2.40 4 −1 KrF Jann Sjursen 2.28 4 0 Elected in the Faroe Islands Union Kaj Leo Johannesen 27.31 1 +1 Republican Høgni Hoydal 24.92 1 +1 Elected in Greenland Inuit Ataqatigiit Josef Motzfeldt 30.83 1 +1 Siumut Hans Enoksen 25.94 1 0 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Prime Minister before PM-elect Poul Nyrup Rasmussen Social Democrats Anders Fogh Rasmussen Venstre

General elections were held in Denmark on 20 November 2001. For the first time since the 1924 elections, the Social Democrats did not win the most seats. Anders Fogh Rasmussen of the centre-right Venstre became Prime Minister in coalition with the Conservative People's Party, as the head of the first Rasmussen government, with the support from Danish People's Party.

The coalition relied on the votes of other right-wing parties such as the Danish People's Party, which polled better than ever before. Voter turnout was 87.1% in Denmark proper, 80.0% in the Faroe Islands and 61.5% in Greenland. The Venstre led coalition government would last until the 2011 election, lasting through two intermediate elections.

The election marked a major shift in Danish politics: It was the first time that the right leaning parties held an outright majority in the parliament since the beginning of the modern democratic system in Denmark in 1901; although right leaning parties had held power several times, they had always had to share power with more centrist or left-wing parties in coalition governments, such as the Danish Social Liberal Party. Historian Bo Lidegaard said that the vote showed a move away from broad national consensus which had existed since the 1930s regarding the style of governance in Denmark. One of the most important changes that forced the change was the rise of immigration as a political issue and the ensuing rise of the Danish People's Party. Immigration played a central role in the 2001 campaign and was thrust into focus by the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, although it had been gaining attention for years.

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Denmark proper
	Venstre	1,077,858	31.25	56	14
	Social Democrats	1,003,323	29.08	52	–11
	Danish People's Party	413,987	12.00	22	9
	Conservative People's Party	312,770	9.07	16	0
	Socialist People's Party	219,842	6.37	12	–1
	Danish Social Liberal Party	179,023	5.19	9	+2
	Red–Green Alliance	82,685	2.40	4	–1
	Christian People's Party	78,793	2.28	4	0
	Centre Democrats	61,031	1.77	0	–8
	Progress Party	19,340	0.56	0	–4
	Independents	1,016	0.03	0	0
Total		3,449,668	100.00	175	0
Valid votes		3,449,668	98.99
Invalid/blank votes		35,247	1.01
Total votes		3,484,915	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		3,998,957	87.15
Faroe Islands
	Union Party	7,208	27.31	1	+1
	Republican Party	6,578	24.92	1	+1
	Social Democratic Party	6,187	23.44	0	–1
	People's Party	5,417	20.52	0	–1
	Centre Party	569	2.16	0	New
	Self-Government	434	1.64	0	0
Total		26,393	100.00	2	0
Valid votes		26,393	99.60
Invalid/blank votes		105	0.40
Total votes		26,498	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		33,106	80.04
Greenland
	Inuit Ataqatigiit	7,172	30.83	1	+1
	Siumut	6,033	25.94	1	0
	Atassut	5,138	22.09	0	–1
	Independents	4,917	21.14	0	0
Total		23,260	100.00	2	0
Valid votes		23,260	97.65
Invalid/blank votes		559	2.35
Total votes		23,819	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		38,710	61.53
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

See also

• List of members of the Folketing, 2001–2005