She has stood up to Donald Trump and shares her kitchen skills on Instagram: Mette Frederiksen, who intends to remain Denmark’s prime minister after Tuesday’s election, blends high-stakes international politics with everyday concerns of Danes.
Her Social Democrats recorded their lowest election result since 1903 but still finished first, and the 48-year-old will now attempt to form a new coalition government.
“I’m ready to take on the responsibility of serving as Denmark’s prime minister again for the next four years,” she told supporters.
A party stalwart, Frederiksen is seen as the embodiment of Denmark’s modernised social democracy, combining a strict migration policy with efforts to protect the country’s welfare state.
“Denmark is a safe community, founded on trust and based on strong values,” her party programme states.
“And we must distinguish between those who can and want to belong to Denmark and those who do not.”
Yet Frederiksen is not defined by authority alone.
She often showcases her cooking on Instagram, projecting the image of an approachable leader who wakes early on Sundays to bake fresh bread for her family.
She suffered a significant setback in municipal elections in November 2025, when her party — traditionally Denmark’s largest — finished second and lost nearly half of the municipalities it controlled, including the capital, Copenhagen.
However, her popularity surged in early 2026 after she pushed back against Trump’s threats to annex Greenland – a territory he claims the United States needs for national security.
Frederiksen “is a unifying figure in a world full of insecurity, and Danes are quite anxious — there’s Greenland, Ukraine, and mystery drones", political analyst Elisabet Svane of the newspaper Politiken told AFP.
Frederiksen capitalised on this surge in support by calling snap elections in late February.
No obvious successor
Born into a working-class family of long-standing Social Democrats, Frederiksen’s father was a typographer and her mother a preschool teacher.
She entered parliament in 2001 at the age of 24 and became leader of the Social Democrats in 2015 after Denmark’s first female prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, stepped down following an election defeat.
Frederiksen has even been cited as an inspiration for the political drama Borgen, according to its creators.
The mother of two adult children has kept her party united without facing serious internal challenges.
Despite speculation that she could one day move on to a senior role in NATO or the EU, analysts struggle to identify a clear successor.
“There’s no real contender, no crown prince within the party, so the current situation will increase internal power struggles,” said Christine Cordsen of public broadcaster DR.
Known for her strong work ethic, Frederiksen initially earned broad praise for her handling of the Covid-19 pandemic during her first term from 2019 to 2022.
However, she faced heavy criticism over the “mink crisis” in November 2020, when—amid fears of a Covid variant—she ordered the culling of around 17 million minks. The order was later ruled illegal.
“After this crisis, she knew how to bounce back,” Svane said.
Frederiksen has tightened migration policies to counter support for the far right, while also advocating stronger international engagement, including firm backing for Ukraine and a significant increase in defence spending.
“She focuses a lot on international challenges, which is very noble, but it’s not going to help you win national elections,” Svane added.
She has also been praised for her stance during the Greenland dispute, strengthening ties with leaders of the Arctic island — relations long strained by Denmark’s colonial past.
“She’s always been very good on Greenland,” said Ole Waever.
“Even before Trump’s annexation ambitions, she spoke about Greenland with more respect and understanding than most politicians have.
“As far as Greenland is concerned, it’s not a bad idea for her to stay on,” he added.
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