Conservative leader Søren Pape Poulsen announced the departure in a Facebook post on Saturday.
“I was genuinely interested in seeing how much common ground we could find,” Poulsen wrote of the discussions between the two parties, which are usually part of opposing ‘blocs’ on the left and right wings of Danish politics.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think [joining a government with Frederiksen and the Social Democrats] is compatible with the promises we made in the election campaign and what I’ve said about such a government. Politics is also very much about credibility,” Poulsen wrote.
The decision has the support of the Conservative parliamentary group, he also stated.
Before the November 1st election, the Conservatives rules out going into government with the Social Democrats, stating they would only back a ‘blue bloc’ government comprised solely of conservative parties.
But the party softened its stance following the election, in which it received a disappointing 5.5 percent of the vote share.
“I promised before the election that whoever becomes prime minister, my party will take a constructive approach to all negotiations with the ambition of making Denmark a better country,” Poulsen wrote in Saturday’s social media post.
The move to leave the talks by the Conservatives is a strategic one according to Christine Cordsen, political correspondent with broadcaster DR.
“If the Liberals [centre right party Venstre, ed.] end up joining the government — which is very likely —then Pape will have the opportunity to take on the role of opposition leader in the remnants of the blue bloc and perhaps use it to revive the Conservatives,” Cordsen said.
Six of the 12 parties elected to parliament at the election now remain in government talks with the Social Democrats.
These are the Liberals, Liberal Alliance and Danish People’s Party from the ‘blue bloc’ and the Social Liberal (Radikale Venstre) and Socialist People’s Party (SF), from the red bloc side. The centrist Moderates are the final party.
READ ALSO: What does Denmark’s Liberal party want from government negotiations?
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