NPR

In Denmark's Election, A Shift To The Left — Unlike In Much Of Europe

Denmark's Social Democrats made a strong showing in this week's elections — but voter support came in part because of the increasingly hard line the party has taken on immigration.
Social Democratic leader Mette Frederiksen walks with supporters after the election results at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen early on Thursday.

Europe's once-powerful Social Democratic parties have been losing steam for decades, a trend that continued in the recent European Parliament elections. In Germany, the party's leader quit after particularly terrible results.

But in Denmark, the Social Democrats are holding their own and appear poised to take back the reins of government after Wednesday's national election.

What's their secret?

The last time Danes voted in parliamentary elections, in 2015, Europe's migration crisis was at a boiling point. Support for the populist, anti-immigrant Danish People's Party surged to 21%, a few percentage

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