1988 Danish general election

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| <- 1987 | 10 May 1988 | 1990 ->

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|

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All 179 seats in the Folketing
90 seats needed for a majority
Turnout| 85.70%
| Party | Leader  | % | 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

Largest party within each nomination district and constituency.

Distribution of constituency and levelling seats.

Prime Minister before | Prime Minister-elect

|

Poul Schlüter
Conservatives | Poul Schlüter
Conservatives

General elections were held in Denmark on 10 May 1988,[1] 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.[2]

## Results[edit]

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[edit]

* List of members of the Folketing, 1988–1990

## References[edit]

1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p. 525 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
2. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p547

## Further reading[edit]

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

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