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| Danish election: Exit polls suggest opposition bloc lead | Danish election: Exit polls suggest opposition bloc lead |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Denmark's opposition parties will beat the ruling coalition after a close general election, exit polls suggest. | Denmark's opposition parties will beat the ruling coalition after a close general election, exit polls suggest. |
| One poll gave a nine-seat lead to the centre-right group led by ex-PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen; another gave him a seven-seat lead over PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt's centre-left coalition. | One poll gave a nine-seat lead to the centre-right group led by ex-PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen; another gave him a seven-seat lead over PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt's centre-left coalition. |
| But they canvassed only the Danish mainland, not accounting for four seats in Greenland and the Faroe Islands. | But they canvassed only the Danish mainland, not accounting for four seats in Greenland and the Faroe Islands. |
| Either side would depend on other parties to form a coalition. | Either side would depend on other parties to form a coalition. |
| By 23:10 local time (21:10 GMT) more than 85% of votes had been counted. | |
| "As it looks now, it seems we have lost the election," said Carsten Hansen, a senior member of Ms Thorning-Schmidt's governing Social Democratic Party. | |
| The party had been staging a remarkable comeback in recent weeks as Danish finances improved. | |
| Welfare and immigration exercised Danish voters even more than the economy. | Welfare and immigration exercised Danish voters even more than the economy. |
| Anger at perceived benefit tourism led the traditionally pro-immigration Social Democrats to launch an advertising campaign with the slogan: "If you come to Denmark you should work." | Anger at perceived benefit tourism led the traditionally pro-immigration Social Democrats to launch an advertising campaign with the slogan: "If you come to Denmark you should work." |
| Mr Rasmussen, who led the country between 2009 and 2011, suggested that benefits are so high that there is barely any incentive for Danes or immigrants to work. | Mr Rasmussen, who led the country between 2009 and 2011, suggested that benefits are so high that there is barely any incentive for Danes or immigrants to work. |
| Denmark election: Close race for the status quo | Denmark election: Close race for the status quo |
| Polling ahead of the vote suggested that an increasing number of Danes were looking to smaller parties. | Polling ahead of the vote suggested that an increasing number of Danes were looking to smaller parties. |
| One of them, called the Alternative, is a green party that has the potential to tip the balance in the favour of the centre-left coalition. | One of them, called the Alternative, is a green party that has the potential to tip the balance in the favour of the centre-left coalition. |
| On the other side, the Liberal Alliance is drawing young libertarians away from the centre-right. | On the other side, the Liberal Alliance is drawing young libertarians away from the centre-right. |
| Minor issues like a Faroes fishing dispute could influence the result. | Minor issues like a Faroes fishing dispute could influence the result. |
| The islands' fishing community is still angry at Ms Thorning-Schmidt for barring its boats from Danish ports in a 2013 dispute over alleged overfishing. | The islands' fishing community is still angry at Ms Thorning-Schmidt for barring its boats from Danish ports in a 2013 dispute over alleged overfishing. |