Danish centre-left leader sees slow talks to form government after election win

The leader of Denmark's Social Democrats said on Thursday she would launch talks to form a government, although she expected it would take time, after a centre-left election victory put her on course to become country's youngest ever prime minister. A bloc of five left-leaning opposition parties led by Mette Frederiksen's Social Democrats won a convincing majority in Wednesday's election, prompting centre-right leader Lars Lokke Rasmussen to resign as prime minister.

The result showed Danish voters had rebelled against austerity measures and also dealt a blow to right-wing nationalists. Frederiksen aims to form a one-party minority government with the backing of the other leftist parties, a common set-up in Denmark. But the left-leaning parties are themselves divided over issues such as welfare and immigration, creating hurdles for negotiations.

"There are disagreements. I don't expect any easy or quick solution to forming a new government," Frederiksen, 41, said on Thursday. Later on Thursday she will be given a mandate by Queen Margrethe to form a new government.

If she is successful, Denmark would be the third Nordic country in a year to form a leftist government.