The immigration debate completely dominates the Danish election campaign. A new poll shows that 35 per cent of Danes believe non-Western immigration must be stopped entirely – even if it harms the economy.
The poll has been conducted for the Danish major newspaper B.T., which itself describes the result as a «Gallup bomb».
35 per cent agree that «immigration from non-Western countries must be stopped, even if it affects the Danish economy». 39 per cent disagree, while the remainder have not taken a position.
The result comes in the midst of a heated election campaign in which immigration has become one of the most contentious issues.
Whether it leads to negative economic consequences is a recurring theme. In Norway, it has been calculated that non-Western immigrants on average have a negative lifetime fiscal balance of approximately NOK 8 million.
Frederiksen warns about numbers
The Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has long profiled herself on a strict immigration policy. She has emphasised that the number of immigrants is decisive.
«It is of course positive that some wish to contribute in Denmark, but also when it comes to foreign labour, the number is important. Especially from North Africa and the Middle East», the Prime Minister has said.
The counterpoint is Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who believes Denmark will lack around 90,000 full-time employees in 2030 and advocates a more liberal line on labour immigration.
Dansk Folkeparti, with Morten Messerschmidt, has presented a plan for remigration in Denmark. This means that more people should leave than arrive.
Thriller election on Tuesday
When polling stations close at 20:00 on Tuesday evening, political Denmark may be turned upside down. The Social Democrats are heading for their worst election in 123 years, Venstre for its worst ever.
The incumbent government, an unusual cooperation between Socialdemokratiet, Venstre and Moderaterne, has in all likelihood lost its majority. But the alternatives are few. Neither the red nor the blue bloc has a majority in the opinion polls.
According to Voxmeter’s latest poll for Ritzau, the three government parties receive only 65 of 179 seats. The red bloc has 86 seats, the blue 77. This leaves Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s Moderaterne as the potential kingmaker.