The Danish Socialist People’s Party: Still Waiting After all These Years

Abstract

Like its counterparts in Sweden and Norway (see Koß and Olsen in this volume for more on those parties), the major left-socialist party in Denmark, the Danish Socialist People’s Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti – SF), has traditionally been considered non-coalitionable. In the Danish case, this has largely been on account of its opposition to both NATO and EC/ EU membership, as these stances would naturally have caused significant problems between Denmark and these institutions if the SF had ever entered national government. In recent times, however, the Scandinavian left-socialist parties have gone down different paths in terms of their attitudes to government participation. Despite its NATO opposition, the Norwegian Left Socialist Party entered a red–green alliance together with the agrarian Centre Party (Senterpartiet) and the Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) after the 2005 general election (see Olsen in this volume). In contrast, the Danish Socialist People’s Party, although more willing to become a government party over time, has filled the role of a support party to social democratic minority governments. The principal focus in this chapter is on how the SF has balanced its strategic options between policy, office and votes (see the introductory chapter about different party goals for more details). How has the party redesigned its policy in order to become an acceptable coalition partner? Which coalition alternatives have been available to the party? Why has SF, despite its willingness, not been able to become a fully fledged member of government?