UPDATE 1-Denmark's right-wing defence minister to lead government formation talks

But Frederiksen's talks with likely partnersreached a stalemate in recent weeks, slowing down government decision making amid efforts to resolve a crisis in ⁠ties with ​U.S. President Donald ⁠Trump's administration over Greenland. On Friday, Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his centrist Moderate Party ended ⁠talks with Frederiksen and proposed that the task of leading the negotiations ​should be given to Lund Poulsen, who heads the right-wing Liberal ⁠Party.

The king ​of Denmark has asked Defence ‌Minister Troels ​Lund Poulsen to explore the formation of a potential centre-right government following the breakdownof negotiations ‌among centre-left parties, the royal palace said on Friday.

Denmark's March election for parliament resulted in a fragmented assembly of 12 parties, with Social Democratic ‌Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen leading negotiations since then, hoping to secure a ‌third term in office. But Frederiksen's talks with likely partnersreached a stalemate in recent weeks, slowing down government decision making amid efforts to resolve a crisis in ⁠ties with ​U.S. President Donald ⁠Trump's administration over Greenland.

On Friday, Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his centrist Moderate Party ended ⁠talks with Frederiksen and proposed that the task of leading the negotiations ​should be given to Lund Poulsen, who heads the right-wing Liberal ⁠Party. If Lund Poulsen succeeds in finding sufficient support from right-wing and centrist groups, he ⁠could ​become prime minister. If he fails, the task of leading the talks will pass back to Frederiksen or to one of ⁠the other party leaders.

Frederiksen's Social Democrats, in power since 2019, won ⁠38 seats in ⁠the 179-seat parliament, down from 50 in 2022, making it their worst election result since 1903.