According to TV2, private information has revealed that the Social Democratic Party in Denmark has been secretly contacting several of its prominent ministers in recent months to explore the possibility of one of them running for mayor of Copenhagen, in an attempt to avert what analysts have described as a "potential electoral disaster" in the upcoming 2025 municipal elections. These developments, according to TV2, demonstrate the extent of the concern within the Social Democratic Party about the possibility of losing control of its historic stronghold in Copenhagen, at a time when its popularity is declining and competition from other left-wing parties is intensifying, as we will see in the article and the information contained in the TV2 article.
A surprise announcement from Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil
In late August 2024, then-Minister of Social Affairs Pernille Rosenkrantz-Tyll appeared on social media smiling on the roof of a building overlooking the Danish Parliament, announcing via her Facebook page her intention to leave the government and run for mayor of Copenhagen.
In her post, she said, "I very much want to be the party's candidate for mayor of Copenhagen." She added that she took this step after being "encouraged to do so.".
But according to TV2, citing sources familiar with what happened behind the scenes, Rosenkranz-Tyll was not the only option on the table for the party leadership, as it turned out that a number of other ministers were also under discussion as potential candidates.
Attempts to attract Minister Magnus Heunicke
Information obtained by TV2 indicated that Minister Magnus Heunicke, the Minister for Environment and Equality and one of the party's most popular figures, was among the names that the party branch in Copenhagen tried to attract to take over the position.
Hoenicke, who rose to prominence during the coronavirus pandemic through his frequent appearances at official press conferences, received inquiries from local party leaders during the first half of 2024 regarding his interest in running for mayor. However, the discussions were short-lived, as the minister declined the idea, explaining that he did not wish to leave national politics or relinquish his ministerial post.
Poor election results sound alarm bells within the party
These moves came in the wake of disastrous results for the Social Democratic Party in the European Parliament elections in June 2024, particularly in Copenhagen, which increased fears within the party of losing control of the capital that had been its historic stronghold for more than a hundred years.
According to TV2 sources, the search wasn't limited to Höneke; they also contacted the then Minister of Immigration and Integration, Kaare Dybvad Bek, to gauge his willingness to take on the role. However, Bek, known for his pro-rural stance and opposition to the capital's dominance, declined the offer, preferring to remain in his ministerial position.
Growing concern within the party about losing the capital
TV2 political analyst Hans Redder explained that the fear of losing Copenhagen has dominated the thinking of the party's top leadership since the previous municipal elections in 2021, saying that losing control of the capital would be a severe blow to the party, which was founded there and whose history is intertwined with it. He added that this anxiety is what prompted the leadership to search for a nationally influential figure to restore confidence among voters.
Historic decline in the 2021 elections
Although former mayor Sophie Hæstorp Andersen managed to retain the position after the 2021 elections, the party received only 17% votes at the time, its worst result in the capital in more than a century, falling to second place behind a rival left-wing party.
In 2022, the party suffered another blow when a coalition of other parties concluded the municipal budget agreement without the participation of the Social Democratic Party, in a move described by political sources as the «biggest humiliation» for the mayor in the history of the municipal council.
His search for a way out leads him to a call from Mette Frederiksen.
As crises deepened within the local party in the capital, attention turned to the national leadership. Reports indicate that Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen personally intervened, calling Pernille Rosenkranz-Till to encourage her to run for mayor, a fact confirmed by Rosenkranz-Till in an interview with the newspaper Ekstra Bladet.
This call paved the way for a surprise cabinet reshuffle at the end of August 2024, in which Sophie Hestrup Andersen left the mayoralty to take over the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing, while Rosenkrantz-Tyll became the party's official candidate in Copenhagen.
Political reactions and analyses regarding Frederiksen's intervention
The Prime Minister’s intervention in the selection of a local candidate has sparked widespread controversy in political circles, with analysts describing the move as an unprecedented use of political influence, but one that also reflects Copenhagen’s strategic importance to the Social Democratic Party.
Opinion polls: The change has not had the desired effect
Opinion polls conducted by Megafon for TV2 in October 2024 showed that the Social Democratic Party received only 13.3% of voting intentions in the capital, a lower percentage than the result in 2021. Other polls conducted by Altinget also revealed that Pernille Rosenkranz-Till was less popular than her rivals from the Socialist People's Party and the Red List.
Position of the local party leadership
TV2 attempted to contact Magnus Heunicke, Kaori Dybvad Bekke, and Pernille Rosenkrantz-Tyll for comment, but none responded. The website also sought an interview with Jan Salling, head of the party's Copenhagen branch, who only issued a written statement: "I am very pleased that Pernille Rosenkrantz-Tyll accepted the nomination last year. I cannot imagine a better candidate to lead the party in the capital, and she was chosen unanimously without any competition," according to TV2.
