The social democrat with an ultra discourse
The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, has returned from vacation with a surprising move: a joint statement with her Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, in which both position themselves as the bulwark not only of security in Europe against the "undeniable" dangers of illegal immigration, but also of the traditional Christian values of the Old Continent. Someone unfamiliar with Scandinavian politics might deduce that Denmark's leader is part of a far-right or, at least, conservative party. "We are proud of Europe's Christian cultural heritage and want to protect it. We hope that those who come to our countries and decide to make Europe their home will respect our values and not try to impose on us a way of life that we do not want." A message that could have perfectly come from the mouth of Viktor Orbán, Marine Le Pen, Santiago Abascal, or, indeed, Giorgia Meloni. But it turns out that Mette Frederiksen is a social democrat; one of the few progressive leaders governing in Europe, at least on paper.
But for years, the Danish leader has adopted a tough stance against immigration as one of her main political battle horses and has turned Denmark into one of the most intransigent member states, both towards asylum seekers and economic migrants. Back in 2021, during her first term, she set herself the goal of "zero asylum seekers" in Denmark. And that same year, the Danish Parliament approved a controversial law to outsource the management of applications to countries outside the European Union, specifically, to Rwanda. Thus, a pioneer in a measure that Meloni is now championing, following the cooperation agreement with Albania.
Monday's statement does not represent any change in the Danish leader's position. It is rather a move – laden with demagoguery and opportunism – to capitalize on the crisis in Ceuta to continue to derive political benefit from the anti-immigration discourse: "We do not accept uncontrolled immigration in Europe and we have led a strict immigration policy, both in our countries of origin and in Europe." "We are the two only female heads of government in the EU," Meloni and Frederiksen highlight in the statement – even though it is not clear what the value is, in this case, that they are women –, and they state that they are "united in the desire to protect Europe." They argue that restricting migrant arrivals and creating return centers in third countries is the "correct" way to do it. "And we believe that millions of Europeans share this conviction," they add. A statement, therefore, that rather than offering new solutions, aims to emphasize that their stance is the same as that of "millions of Europeans."
Immigration has been a star topic in Danish elections for years, even though migratory pressure in Denmark has nothing to do with that of the southern European countries. Nor can it be compared with the figures of refugees and migrants that its two neighboring countries have traditionally received: Germany, the country that hosted the most refugees in 2015, and Sweden, with the highest number in relation to its population. Although this has also changed radically over the last decade.
Rise of the traditional far-right party
From the very first moment, Frederiksen has sided with Meloni in demanding Spain's exclusion from the European free movement area – even though Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area – even though this earned her criticism from members of the government coalition. "Europe must protect its external borders. But we must do so by cooperating. And that is why I do not agree that the Schengen agreement should be suspended," said Magnus Georg Jensen, spokesperson for immigration of the Danish Social Liberal Party (Radikale Venstre). The prime minister's move, therefore, could become dangerous if it amplifies internal divisions: Frederiksen has just it was only two months ago that she premiered her third government, with a coalition more to the left than the previous one.
The crisis in Spain has even led to an urgent debate being called in the Danish Parliament, which has just begun the new political year. It will take place this Wednesday, after pressure from the Danish People's Party (DF, for its Danish acronym), the country's traditional far-right party which is trying to regain influence after two legislatures in opposition and with support in freefall.
Formally, the request for an urgent debate has been submitted by the five right-wing opposition parties, with a broad question to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Immigration and Integration, Morten Bødskov, also a Social Democrat. "What can the government say about the consequences for Denmark and Schengen cooperation of the situation in Ceuta, the Spanish government's mass legalization and the pressure on the EU's external borders; what initiatives will the government take to ensure that the EU's external borders are better protected, and will the government explain how Denmark is prepared to protect our own borders if this becomes necessary?".
The leader of the DF, Morten Messerschmidt, is succeeding in returning the party to the media forefront, and just this Monday, the media reported that the party has the highest popular support in seven years. With 12.4% voting intention, the Danish People's Party receives its highest approval rating since April 2019, just before the elections in which Mette Frederiksen first won. In the last elections, held last March, the far-right party received 9.1% of the votes, while in 2015, at its peak, they had support above 20%.
Several Danish analysts point out the connection between the Danish leader's statement with Meloni and the rise in popularity of the DF.
