Denmark elects first female PM
- 13 years ago
This is the woman Danish voters hope will fix the economy.
Social Democrat Helle Thorning-Schmidt is set to become Denmark's first female prime minister.
(SOUNDBITE) (Danish) MAIN CANDIDATE FOR THE DANISH SOCIAL DEMOCRATS, HELLE THORNING-SCHMIDT, (APPROXIMATE TRANSLATION), SAYING:
"The road has been long. They have been hard times and we've struggled but tonight we've shown that the Social Democrats are still a big force holding up society."
Her win ends 10 years of centre-right rule.
Emotions ran high at her party event.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) ) SOCIAL DEMOCRAT SUPPORTER, ISA PETERSEN, SAYING:
"I'm happy, it's indescribable but I'm really happy, you can feel the pure happiness coming from this room. It's really amazing."
The economy will be Thorning-Schmidt's first task.
Her plan includes increased government spending, raising taxes on the wealthy and a somewhat unusual idea to increase the working day by 12 minutes.
This adds up to an extra hour each week which her group says will help kick-start economic growth.
The current prime minister is to step down on Friday but warns her not to get too comfortable.
(SOUNDBITE)(Danish) DANISH PRIME MINISTER, LARS LOKKE RASMUSSEN, SAYING:
"I will give the keys to the State Ministry and I want to say 'Dear Helle - take care of the keys because they're not for keeps."
A preliminary tally shows her Red bloc won by a slim majority of five seats.
She now must form a government.
Complicating this is the fact that the two biggest winners were far-left Red-Green Alliance and the centrist Social Liberals.
They both back Thorning-Schmidt, but agree on little else.
Marie-Claire Fennessy, Reuters
Social Democrat Helle Thorning-Schmidt is set to become Denmark's first female prime minister.
(SOUNDBITE) (Danish) MAIN CANDIDATE FOR THE DANISH SOCIAL DEMOCRATS, HELLE THORNING-SCHMIDT, (APPROXIMATE TRANSLATION), SAYING:
"The road has been long. They have been hard times and we've struggled but tonight we've shown that the Social Democrats are still a big force holding up society."
Her win ends 10 years of centre-right rule.
Emotions ran high at her party event.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) ) SOCIAL DEMOCRAT SUPPORTER, ISA PETERSEN, SAYING:
"I'm happy, it's indescribable but I'm really happy, you can feel the pure happiness coming from this room. It's really amazing."
The economy will be Thorning-Schmidt's first task.
Her plan includes increased government spending, raising taxes on the wealthy and a somewhat unusual idea to increase the working day by 12 minutes.
This adds up to an extra hour each week which her group says will help kick-start economic growth.
The current prime minister is to step down on Friday but warns her not to get too comfortable.
(SOUNDBITE)(Danish) DANISH PRIME MINISTER, LARS LOKKE RASMUSSEN, SAYING:
"I will give the keys to the State Ministry and I want to say 'Dear Helle - take care of the keys because they're not for keeps."
A preliminary tally shows her Red bloc won by a slim majority of five seats.
She now must form a government.
Complicating this is the fact that the two biggest winners were far-left Red-Green Alliance and the centrist Social Liberals.
They both back Thorning-Schmidt, but agree on little else.
Marie-Claire Fennessy, Reuters