1988 Danish general election

Danish general election, 1988

10 May 1988
All 179 seats to the Folketing 90 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout	85.3%
First party Second party   Leader Svend Auken Poul Schlüter Party Social Democrats Conservatives Last election 54 seats, 29.3% 38 seats, 20.8% Seats won 55 35 Seat change 1 3 Popular vote 992,682 642,048 Percentage 29.8% 19.3%
Prime Minister before election Poul Schlüter Conservatives Prime Minister-elect Poul Schlüter Conservatives

General elections were held in Denmark on 10 May 1988, 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 the leader of the Social Democrats, Svend Auken, 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. The Centre Democrats and Christian People's Party continued to support the government though.

Voter turnout was 85.7% in Denmark proper, 70.3% in the Faroe Islands and 57.9% in Greenland.

Results

Denmark
Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Social Democratic Party	992,682	29.8	55	+1
Conservative People's Party	642,048	19.3	35	–3
Socialist People's Party	433,261	13.0	24	–3
Venstre	394,190	11.8	22	+3
Progress Party	298,132	9.0	16	+7
Danish Social Liberal Party	185,707	5.6	10	–1
Centre Democrats	155,464	4.7	9	0
Christian People's Party	68,047	2.0	4	0
Common Course	63,263	1.9	0	–4
De Grønne	44,960	1.4	0	0
Communist Party of Denmark	27,439	0.8	0	0
Left Socialists	20,303	0.6	0	0
Independents	3,633	0.1	0	0
Invalid/blank votes	23,522	–	–	–
Total	3,352,651	100	175	0
Faroe Islands
People's Party	5,655	24.7	1	0
Union Party	5,597	24.4	1	+1
Social Democratic Party	4,861	21.2	0	–1
Republican Party	4,690	20.5	0	0
Self-Government Party	897	3.9	0	0
Christian People's Party	891	3.9	0	0
Progress Party	321	1.4	0	0
Invalid/blank votes	100	–	–	–
Total	23,012	100	2	0
Greenland
Siumut	8,415	40.1	1	0
Solidarity	8,135	38.7	1	0
Inuit Ataqatigiit	3,628	17.3	0	0
Polar Party	821	3.9	0	0
Invalid/blank votes	1,169	–	–	–
Total	22,168	100	2	0
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Popular vote A   29.82% C   19.29% F   13.01% V   11.84% Z   8.96% B   5.58% D   4.67% Q   2.04% P   1.90% G   1.35% K   0.82% Y   0.61% Others   0.11%

Further reading

• Jespersen, Mary P. S. "A Danish Defence Dilemma: The Election of May 1988," West European Politics (1989) 12#1 pp. 189-195