1988 Danish general election

1988 Danish general election

10 May 1988
All 179 seats in the Folketing 90 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	85.70%
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– Social Democrats Svend Auken 29.82 55 +1 Conservatives Poul Schlüter 19.29 35 −3 SF Gert Petersen 13.01 24 −3 Venstre Uffe Ellemann-Jensen 11.84 22 +3 Progress Pia Kjærsgaard 8.96 16 +7 Social Liberals Niels Helveg Petersen 5.58 10 −1 Centre Democrats Erhard Jakobsen 4.67 9 0 KrF Flemming Kofod-Svendsen 2.04 4 0 Elected in the Faroe Islands People's Jógvan Sundstein 24.68 1 0 Union Pauli Ellefsen 24.43 1 +1 Elected in Greenland Siumut Jonathan Motzfeldt 40.07 1 0 Atassut Otto Steenholdt 38.74 1 0 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Prime Minister before Prime Minister-elect Poul Schlüter Conservatives 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 Svend Auken (the leader of the Social Democrats) 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. Nonetheless, the Centre Democrats and the Christian People's Party continued to support the government.

Voter turnout was 86% in Denmark proper, 70% in the Faroe Islands and 58% in Greenland.

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Denmark proper
	Social Democrats	992,682	29.82	55	+1
	Conservative People's Party	642,048	19.29	35	–3
	Socialist People's Party	433,261	13.01	24	–3
	Venstre	394,190	11.84	22	+3
	Progress Party	298,132	8.96	16	+7
	Danish Social Liberal Party	185,707	5.58	10	–1
	Centre Democrats	155,464	4.67	9	0
	Christian People's Party	68,047	2.04	4	0
	Common Course	63,263	1.90	0	–4
	The Greens	44,960	1.35	0	0
	Communist Party of Denmark	27,439	0.82	0	0
	Left Socialists	20,303	0.61	0	0
	Independents	3,633	0.11	0	0
Total		3,329,129	100.00	175	0
Valid votes		3,329,129	99.30
Invalid/blank votes		23,522	0.70
Total votes		3,352,651	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		3,911,897	85.70
Faroe Islands
	People's Party	5,655	24.68	1	0
	Union Party	5,597	24.43	1	+1
	Social Democratic Party	4,861	21.22	0	–1
	Republican Party	4,690	20.47	0	0
	Self-Government	897	3.91	0	0
	Christian People's Party	891	3.89	0	0
	Progress Party	321	1.40	0	0
Total		22,912	100.00	2	0
Valid votes		22,912	99.57
Invalid/blank votes		100	0.43
Total votes		23,012	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		32,715	70.34
Greenland
	Siumut	8,415	40.07	1	0
	Atassut	8,135	38.74	1	0
	Inuit Ataqatigiit	3,628	17.28	0	0
	Polar Party	821	3.91	0	0
Total		20,999	100.00	2	0
Valid votes		20,999	94.73
Invalid/blank votes		1,169	5.27
Total votes		22,168	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		38,301	57.88
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

See also

• List of members of the Folketing, 1988–1990

Further reading

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