Mette Frederiksen: Denmark’s Iron Lady Makes Her Comeback – And Writes Herself Into Toilet Paper History

It’s not often a politician ends up on the shelves at your local grocery store, but in Denmark, they’ve pulled it off. A few weeks ago, on a ferry between Oslo and Copenhagen, I heard a story that says everything about the relationship between Danes and their Prime Minister. A guy from Aarhus showed me a picture of a toilet paper roll. On the packaging? You guessed it, a glimpse of Mette Frederiksen. The joke was that she’s so tough she’s “cleaning house” in Danish politics. It’s exactly that kind of dry, respectful irony that defines how they see their Iron Lady.

Now, she’s back in full force. Mette Frederiksen’s second government is in place, following an election night that brought me back to the old party leader debates I used to follow closely as a kid. It was nail-biting right to the end, but ultimately, there was no doubt: she’s holding onto power. It’s almost surreal to think that just a few years ago, Mette Frederiksen’s first government was operating in a completely different reality. Back then, the pandemic was the big topic, and she was the one who shut down Denmark in a way we’d never seen before. Mink were to be culled, borders closed – she made decisions that made her both loved and hated, but never ignored.

From the People’s Meeting to new negotiations

What strikes me now is how quickly things can turn in Danish politics. This summer, I was at a harbour bath in Copenhagen listening to people debate whether she was “finished.” There was a lot of noise around the mink scandal, and many believed that Mette Frederiksen had lost her touch with ordinary people. But the woman from Aalborg who started as a young activist in the labour movement didn’t give up. She’s like a boxer who’s been counted out but refuses to stay down.

Looking at the formation of her new government, I see a clear shift from her first term. Mette Frederiksen’s first government was defined by crisis management and just getting through. This time around, Mette Frederiksen’s second government is about building something more lasting. It’s broader, more anchored in the centre, and there’s a clear sense that it’s an effort to avoid the same mistakes as before. To understand how she pulled this off, you only need to look at what’s happening on the streets and what insiders within the party apparatus are saying:

• The significance of being re-elected: She’s the first Social Democratic prime minister on the left to secure a second term in a very long time. That says a lot about her personal appeal.
• The alliances: Where her first government stood alone at the start, she’s now brought in several other parties to create a broader platform.
• Her common touch: Whether it’s toilet paper with her face on it or debates about social welfare, she manages to stay relevant in everyday conversations.

Maybe that’s exactly what makes her so fascinating. You can’t avoid Mette Frederiksen in Denmark, whether it’s at Christiansborg Palace or down at the supermarket. I remember an episode from last year’s People’s Meeting on Bornholm, where I was waiting in line for a hot dog. Two older women behind me were discussing her with an intensity usually reserved for a complicated daughter-in-law or a daughter they were proud of. “She’s got guts,” said one. “Yeah, but she needs to be careful,” replied the other. That’s the kind of ownership Danes feel over her. They own her, they criticize her, but they won’t let her fall.

The road ahead for the Danish Prime Minister

Now that Mette Frederiksen’s second government has set its course, everyone is wondering what the next big battle will be. It seems to me that she’s learned something from the tough years of Mette Frederiksen’s first government. Crisis leadership was her strength, but now she has to show she can also create growth and unity without the sense of an emergency. (To borrow a fitting metaphor given the toilet paper.)

I think we in Norway will feel this too. When things get stirred up in Danish politics, it always creates waves over here on this side of the border. But right now, an experienced, tough, and exceptionally sharp politician is at the helm in Copenhagen. Mette Frederiksen has weathered the worst, and I’m betting we’ll see more momentum in cooperation between our countries going forward. After all, she’s now one of the longest-serving leaders in the Nordics, and that kind of weight carries influence when the prime ministers gather for meetings.

What started as a joke on a toilet paper roll has turned into a serious political comeback. For those of us who follow Nordic politics closely, it’s simply engaging to watch how she balances being a woman of the people with being a relentless strategist. Whatever you think of her politics, there’s one thing we have to give her: she never makes Danish politics boring.