Sisse Marie Welling, leader of the Socialist People’s Party (SF) in Copenhagen, reflects on an intense election that ended over a century of Social Democratic control of the city. She now turns her attention to solving the capital’s housing challenges while calling for broader political collaboration.
A Historic Power Shift in Copenhagen
The recent municipal election in Copenhagen marked a seismic shift in city politics. For the first time in more than a hundred years, the Social Democrats lost their grip on the town hall, a moment now symbolized by Sisse Marie Welling stepping into the role of the city’s next Lord Mayor. The transition, confirmed during the city council’s formal assembly on Friday, will officially come into effect on January 1, 2026.
As Welling took the mayoral chair, the atmosphere inside the council chamber stood out. Applause erupted from the audience and political opponents alike. It was an emotional moment that underscored how extraordinary this transition was for Copenhagen’s political history. The event followed a long election night marked by tense negotiations that concluded only after dawn, resulting in a new coalition led by SF.
The Social Democrats’ loss in Copenhagen was not merely a political setback. It symbolized the end of a century-old era of dominance in the capital, replaced by a new alliance uniting the left and center-left—an outcome few could have predicted months earlier.
A Campaign Marked by Sharp Divisions
Throughout the campaign, Welling sensed that a change in power was possible, even though tensions with the Social Democrats ran unusually high. Their lead candidate, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, made it clear that she would only join any governing coalition if she secured the city’s top post. That statement set the tone for a campaign defined by confrontation rather than cooperation.
According to Welling, the relationship between SF and the Social Democrats had rarely been so strained. The previous sixteen years had seen varying degrees of collaboration, but this year’s contest exposed deep divisions between the parties. The tone hardened further when national leaders, including Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, criticized SF’s approach to local governance.
In contrast to the Social Democrats, SF ran on a message of broader inclusivity, forming partnerships with other progressive factions rather than focusing on exclusive control. The result became evident on election night when SF and the Red-Green Alliance joined forces to consolidate their majority.
The Long Night of Negotiations
When the votes were finally counted around four in the morning, each political group had to name their preferred candidate for Lord Mayor. By the end of the round, Sisse Marie Welling realized the victory was hers. She and Red-Green Alliance leader Line Barfoed had coordinated closely during the negotiations, ensuring unity in strategy and messaging. Their cooperation ultimately shaped the city’s future leadership.
Despite declaring earlier that she would not participate without securing the top job, Rosenkrantz-Theil unexpectedly appeared in the negotiations room during the final hours. Observers described her arrival as surprising, though she did not attempt to alter the outcome. Her party, once the dominant force in Copenhagen politics, had to accept its new role as part of the opposition.
By mid-morning, Welling stood before the press announcing the formation of a historically broad coalition agreement. It spanned from the left-wing Red-Green Alliance to the economically liberal Liberal Alliance, signaling a new era of pragmatic cooperation in Copenhagen politics.
Focusing on Housing and Urban Problems
Now that the political dust has settled, Welling is turning her attention to the job ahead. Urban housing stands as her top priority, a persistent problem for residents seeking affordable homes in Denmark’s capital. She has pledged to accelerate construction across all housing types—public, cooperative, and private—to ease the city’s shortage.
At the same time, she plans to curb the challenges posed by short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb, which have limited availability for long-term residents. Although she refrains from promising lower housing costs for all, she hopes that the new wave of public housing projects will make it noticeably easier for more people to secure a place to live.
Welling has avoided setting specific building targets. Instead, she wants visible results that show construction is moving forward and that new projects are becoming part of the city landscape. Achieving this, she emphasizes, requires cooperation among all political factions, including the Social Democrats. Whether that reconciliation happens remains to be seen, but her message is clear: SF wants to unite rather than divide.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Social Democrats Lose Copenhagen After 100 Years
The Danish Dream: How to Move to Copenhagen
DR: Sisse Marie Welling sætter ord på forhold til Socialdemokratiet: ‘Jeg ville lyve, hvis jeg sagde, at det har været meget harmonisk’
