DENMARK: GOVERNMENT VOTED OUT OF POWER IN GENERAL ELECTION.

Record ID: 328541

  • Title: DENMARK: GOVERNMENT VOTED OUT OF POWER IN GENERAL ELECTION.
  • Date: 21st September 1971
  • Summary: 1. LV Voters walk into polling stations (4 shots) 0.24 2. SV Prime Minister Baundgaard and wife enter polling station 0.30 3. LV & CU Prime Minister enters polling booth 0.40 4. CU Cameramen film as Prime Minister places vote in ballot box (3 shots) 0.56 5. SCU Foreign Minister Hartling enters booth and places vote in box (3 shots) 1.04 Initials BB/0156 RJ/MR/BB/0206 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th October 1971 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
  • Country: Denmark
  • Reuters ID: LVA6597DC9P5EXYF1YZ6ER192NM4
  • Story Text: Denmark's ruling coalition Government has been voted out of office in the country's general election. The Opposition Social Democrats, which lost power in 1968, won enough seats to upset the delicate balance of coalition power. The ruling Social liberals, Conservatives and Liberals had a majority of only 17 seats in the single chamber Parliament before the elections. The last public opinion poll taken before voting began indicated the context would be close, but with only forty per cent of the votes counted it was apparent the Government had fallen.

    SYNOPSIS: Denmark went to the polls today in what was being tipped as the closest general elections for years. But with only 40 per cent of the votes counted, it was obvious the country's coalition Government would lose. The Government had only a 17 majority in the 179 seat single chamber Parliament before the election. Public opinion polls indicated the result would be close.

    Prime Minister Hilmar Baundgaard and his wife were among the early voters. Mr. Baundgaard was facing trouble within the coalition even before the elections. One of the three member parties, the Social Liberals were widely predicted to be ready to split with the Government if the majority was cut. The ruling coalition needed to win a substantial majority to stay in office. In fast the three party coalition fell two short of the 90 seats it needed for a majority. The two main opposition parties also failed to muster a majority. They fell three short of the required number.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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