Denmark parliamentary election: 15-09-2011

[redcommander]

Ugghhh. Why did Denmark have to go left?

[redcommander]

Not going to happen, you just as well hope for the tooth fairy, either you get a left government which want a less restrictive immigration policies (through not by much), or you can get a right government which will keep selling out to DPP for a few tax cuts and a continued centralisation of power.

Less restrictive immigration policy, yeah right. The very important word in what you just said is "want". Your new PM might possibly want less restrictive immigration policy, but it's quite clear she is too afraid to challange the xenophobia, and that very little if anything will be changed on that front.  

So the new PM isn't going to change the right's restrictive immigration policies? Won't that anger some of her base. It seems kind of odd for her not to stand up to the Danish People's Party on that issue. Has the immigration issue fear mongered many people in Denmark that the Social Democrats believe they will have an electoral disaster if they attempt to change it?

[redcommander]

Not going to happen, you just as well hope for the tooth fairy, either you get a left government which want a less restrictive immigration policies (through not by much), or you can get a right government which will keep selling out to DPP for a few tax cuts and a continued centralisation of power.

Less restrictive immigration policy, yeah right. The very important word in what you just said is "want". Your new PM might possibly want less restrictive immigration policy, but it's quite clear she is too afraid to challange the xenophobia, and that very little if anything will be changed on that front.  

You can think so if you have a superficial knowledge about how the Danish SD works. Yes the 24 year rule won't be removed*, but the point system will in worst case be replaced with a significant less extreme one, or be removed completely, giving access to any spouse in marriage where both are above 24. The first day after the election the entire left already said even before the government negotiation, that the increased border control will be dropped. Beside that the entire left support a losening of the asylum and immigration rules and that was before and up to the election.
I know it's a popular excuse among some rightwingers to excuse their cooperation with DPP, with SD would behave just as badly, but it's just a bad excuse. SD won't continue the heartless politic of the former government, neither will it open the borders up, it will push pragmatic policies toward immigration. As such some will find it to harsh, but it's ridiculous to compare it to the last 10 year of xenophobia.

*Mostly because it has been a enormous success, Muslim young womens has gone from the least educated group to the most, we have also seen a increase in the number of them on the labour market.  

It will also probably be difficult, and not a priority for Helle to change the Danish immigration system because the SD has such a slim coalition in parliament. Only a few mps who become angered by a perceived loosening of immigration rules, could bring down the government with a vote of no confidence with Venstre and the DPP. I'm not an expert on Danish politics, but it does seem like Denmark has one of the strongest xenophobic sentiments in Europe right now if the DPP's success is anything to go by.