Denmark

This chapter delves into some of the central events and developments that have defined Danish politics in the past decades. It aims to examine the shifting relations between the main Danish political parties and the Danish People’s Party (DF). It provides an overview of the context in which support for the DF grew and stabilized. In particular, it considers the impact of the Great Recession (2007–2008) and the so-called ‘refugee crisis’ in spring 2015 on the success of the DF. This is then followed by an analysis of how mainstream parties of the right and of the left have engaged with right-wing populist demands. It is shown that they have responded to the challenges posed by the DF by adopting counterstrategies that have changed over time but ultimately converged towards practices of cooperation and co-optation.