Moderates (Denmark)
{{distinguish|text=the Swedish Moderate Party}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Moderates
| native_name = Moderaterne
| youth_wing = Unge Moderaterda
| logo = Moderaterne logo full.svg
| logo_size = 260px
| colorcode = {{Political party data|color}}
| abbreviation = M
| chairman = Lars Løkke Rasmussen
| split = Venstre
| foundation = {{Start date|2022|6|5|df=y}}
| ideology = Liberalism
Pro-Europeanism
Economic liberalism
| position = Centre
| europarl = Renew Europe{{Cite web |title=Moderaterne vil vælges til Europa-Parlamentet, kommuner og regioner: "Vi udvider paletten" |url=https://www.altinget.dk/artikel/moderaterne-vil-vaelges-til-europa-parlamentet-kommuner-og-regioner-vi-vil-vaere-et-rigtigt-parti |access-date=2023-03-13 |website=Altinget.dk |date=8 March 2023 |language=da-DK}}
| affiliation1_title = Nordic affiliation
| affiliation1 = Centre Group
| headquarters = Lyskær 8, 2730 Herlev
| think_tank = Det Politiske Mødested
| seats1_title = Folketing
| seats1 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}}{{Efn|Only 175 of the 179 seats in the Danish Parliament, the Folketing, are obtainable by Danish political parties as Greenland and the Faroe Islands are assigned two seats each due to their status as territories in the Kingdom of Denmark.}}
| seats2_title = European Parliament
| seats2 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|EP}}
| seats3_title = Municipal councils
| seats3 = {{Composition bar|32|2436|hex={{party color|Moderates (Denmark)}}}}
| seats4_title = Regions
| seats4 = {{composition bar|1|205|hex={{party color|Moderates (Denmark)}}}}
| colours = {{ublist
| {{color box|#83298F}} Purple (official)
| {{color box|{{party color|Moderates (Denmark)}}}} Light purple (customary){{Cite web |title=Oversigt over Folketingssalen |url=https://www.ft.dk/da/folketingssalen/salsoversigten#/Oversigt?date=20230602 |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=Folketinget |language=da}}
}}
| website = {{Political party data|website}}
| country = Denmark
| symbol = File:Moderaterne logo.svg
}}
The Moderates ({{langx|da|Moderaterne}} {{IPA|da|mɔˈdɛʁɑˀtɐnə|}}) is a liberal political party in Denmark founded by former Prime Minister and current Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen.{{Cite web|url=https://politiken.dk/indland/politik/art8236171/Mit-nye-parti-skal-hedde-Moderaterne|title=Lars Løkke: Mit nye parti skal hedde Moderaterne|date=June 5, 2021|website=Politiken}} He announced the name in a foundational speech on 5 June 2021. At the same time, he said that his main scenario was that the party would be formed after the 2021 Danish local elections.{{Cite web|url=https://www.berlingske.dk/content/item/1568445|title=Løkke tænkte på svenske Reinfeldt og danske Nyborg og kastede sig ud i det|first=Bent|last=Winther|date=June 5, 2021|website=Berlingske.dk}}{{Cite web|url=https://jyllands-posten.dk/indland/ECE13034228/lars-loekke-stifter-nyt-parti-ved-navn-moderaterne-et-moderat-parti-der-kan-fryse-stillingskrigen-mellem-roed-og-blaa-blok-op/|title=Nu er det officielt: Lars Løkke stifter nyt parti ved navn Moderaterne|date=June 5, 2021|website=jyllands-posten.dk}} The name was, according to Rasmussen, inspired by the fictitious Prime Minister Birgitte Nyborg's party Moderaterne in the hit political TV drama Borgen (itself allegedly inspired by the Social Liberal Party) as well as the Swedish Moderate Party, the then–second largest party in the Swedish Riksdag.{{cite web | url=https://www.berlingske.dk/analyse-og-perspektiv/loekke-taenkte-paa-svenske-reinfeldt-og-danske-nyborg-og | title=Løkke tænkte på svenske Reinfeldt og danske Nyborg og kastede sig ud i det | date=5 June 2021 }}{{cite web | url=https://nyheder.tv2.dk/2022-10-22-i-borgen-indtog-birgitte-nyborg-og-hendes-moderate-parti-statsministeriet-saa-taet-er | title=I 'Borgen' indtog Birgitte Nyborg og hendes moderate parti Statsministeriet – så tæt er Løkke på at gøre hende kunsten efter - TV 2 | date=26 October 2022 }} The Moderates' political position is referred to as centre{{cite news |title=Centre-left government hangs in balance as Denmark goes to the polls |url=https://www.euronews.com/2022/11/01/denmark-election-frederiksens-government-hangs-in-the-balance-as-it-battles-for-centrist-v |access-date=1 November 2022 |work=Euronews |date=1 November 2022 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Danes go to the polls in thriller election |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20221030-danes-go-to-the-polls-in-thriller-election |work=France 24 |date=30 October 2022 |language=en}} to centre-right.{{Cite magazine |url=https://youthjournalism.org/election-will-show-if-denmarks-rebellious-streak-veers-right/|title=Election will show if Denmark's rebellious streak veers right |quote=Another former Venstre party member is Lars Løkke Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister known in part for his spending scandals. As reported by Information, Rasmussen is now running with his new centre-right party Moderaterne, which means Moderates.. |date=31 October 2022 |magazine=Youth Journalism International |access-date=16 November 2022}}
According to Rasmussen, Moderaterne is a centrist party that has the ambition to create "progress and change in a crossroads between a blue bloc that is tormented by value politics and a red bloc that is stuck in a past view of individual and state".{{Cite web|url=https://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2021-04-11-lars-lokke-bekraefter-nyt-parti|title=Lars Løkke bekræfter nyt parti - TV 2|date=April 10, 2021|website=nyheder.tv2.dk}} Thus, it is not aligned with either bloc in the Folketing.{{cite news | url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/denmarks-pm-resigns-hopes-form-new-centrist-government-2022-11-02/ | title = Denmark's PM to explore broad coalition after narrow election win | publisher = Reuters | date = November 2, 2022}} The party began collecting voting declarations in June 2021. On 15 September 2021 Lars Løkke Rasmussen announced that they had received the 20,182 signatures needed to be eligible to stand in the 2022 Danish general election.{{Cite web|date=2021-09-07|title=Løkkes parti tager stormskridt mod stemmesedlen|url=https://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2021-09-07-lokkes-parti-tager-stormskridt-mod-stemmesedlen|access-date=2021-09-17|website=TV 2|language=da-DK}}{{Cite web|date=September 7, 2021|title=Moderaterne|url=https://www.vaelgererklaering.dk/om-partiet?election=dk&party=d150e125-30b6-40e5-9e44-7f9ca49985f2|website=Vælgererklæring}}{{cite web |title=Løkkes nye parti klar til stemmesedlen: Afviser ikke statsministerposten |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/loekkes-nye-parti-klar-til-stemmesedlen-afviser-ikke-statsministerposten |website=Dr.dk |date=15 September 2021 |access-date=15 September 2021}}
File:Folkemodet Allinge Moderaterne Lars Lokke Rasmussen in 2023 - (cropped).jpg, founder of the party]]The Moderates saw a surge in popularity during campaigning for the 2022 general election, eventually ending up as the third largest party with 16 seats,{{Cite web |date=2022-11-02 |title=Løkke erklærede regeringen død for tidligt – og gemte sig bag låste døre - TV 2 |url=https://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2022-11-02-loekke-erklaerede-regeringen-doed-for-tidligt-og-gemte-sig-bag-laaste-doere |access-date=2022-11-02 |website=nyheder.tv2.dk |language=da-DK}} as polls had suggested.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-22 |title=Løkke stormer frem i ny måling - Moderaterne står til at blive tredjestørste parti |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/folketingsvalg/loekke-stormer-frem-i-ny-maaling-moderaterne-staar-til-blive |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=DR |language=da-DK}} They had positioned themselves as kingmakers in deciding who the next prime minister should be,{{Cite web |date=2022-10-07 |title=Kongemageren: Lars Løkke skubber De Radikale af brættet med sit nye moderate Venstre |url=https://www.information.dk/indland/2022/10/kongemageren-lars-loekke-skubber-radikale-braettet-nye-moderate-venstre |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=Information |language=da}} but the incumbent red bloc won a majority, thus preventing the Moderates from having the decisive seats in the next government.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-02 |title=Partiledere raser over nordatlantiske mandater: - Når man ser på danskernes stemmetal alene, er der et flertal imod Mette Frederiksen - TV 2 |url=https://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2022-11-02-partiledere-raser-over-nordatlantiske-mandater-naar-man-ser-paa-danskernes |access-date=2022-11-02 |website=nyheder.tv2.dk |language=da-DK}} Despite this, the Moderates entered negotiations with the Social Democrats and Venstre and successfully formed a grand coalition government, the Frederiksen II Cabinet.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-14 |title=Denmark's new government bridges left-right divide |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/mette-frederiksen-denmark-social-democrats-agree-to-form-rare-centrist-government/ |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=POLITICO |language=en-US}}
Election results
= Parliament =
=European Parliament=
Notes
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