Mette Frederiksen: Denmark’s Iron Lady Stages a Comeback – and Makes Toilet Roll History

It’s not every day a politician ends up on the shelves of your local supermarket, but in Denmark, they’ve managed it. A few weeks ago, on a ferry between Oslo and Copenhagen, I heard a story that says it all about the Danes and their prime minister. A chap from Aarhus showed me a picture of a toilet roll. On the packaging? You guessed it – a cheeky nod to Mette Frederiksen. The joke was that she’s so tough she ‘cleans house’ in Danish politics. It’s that kind of dry, affectionate irony that sums up how they view their Iron Lady.

Now she’s back in full force. Mette Frederiksen’s second government is in place, following an election night that brought back memories of the party leader debates I used to follow so closely as a teenager. It was nail-biting right until the end, but in the end there was no doubt: she’s still in power. It’s almost surreal to think that just a couple of years ago, Mette Frederiksen’s first government was operating in a completely different world. Back then, the pandemic dominated the conversation, 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 loathed, but never ignored.

From the People’s Meeting to fresh negotiations

What strikes me now is how quickly things can turn in Danish politics. In the summer, I was sitting 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 thought Mette Frederiksen had lost her touch with the public. But the woman from Aalborg, who started out as a young activist in the trade union movement, didn’t give up. She’s like a boxer who’s taken a count but refuses to stay down.

Looking at how this new government has been formed, I see a clear shift from her first term. Mette Frederiksen’s first government was all about crisis management and survival. This, Mette Frederiksen’s second government, is about building something more lasting. It’s broader, more rooted in the centre, and you can sense an effort to avoid the same mistakes as before. To understand how she’s pulled this off, you only need to look at what’s happening on the streets, and what the internal party sources are whispering:

• The significance of re-election: She’s the first Social Democratic prime minister on the left to secure a new term in a very long time. That speaks volumes about her personal appeal.
• The alliances: Where her first government stood alone at the start, she’s now brought in more parties to create a broader platform.
• The common touch: Whether it’s toilet paper bearing her face or debates about welfare, she manages to stay relevant in everyday conversations.

Perhaps that’s what makes her so fascinating. You can’t escape Mette Frederiksen in Denmark, whether you’re at Christiansborg Palace or down at the local supermarket. I remember an incident at last year’s People’s Meeting on Bornholm, where I was queuing for a hot dog. Two older women behind me were discussing her with an intensity usually reserved for a difficult daughter-in-law or a daughter they were proud of. ‘She’s got balls,’ one of them said. ‘Yes, but she needs to be careful,’ the other replied. That’s the kind of ownership Danes have over her. They claim her, they criticise her, but they won’t let her fall.

What’s next for the Danish Prime Minister?

Now that Mette Frederiksen’s second government has set its course, everyone’s wondering what the next big battle will be. To me, it seems 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 foster growth and unity without there being a fire to put out. (To borrow a fitting metaphor, given the toilet roll connection.)

I suspect we’ll feel the effects of this here in Norway too. When political winds blow in Denmark, they always ripple across the border. But right now, an experienced, resilient and exceptionally savvy politician is at the helm in Copenhagen. Mette Frederiksen has weathered the worst, and I’d wager we’ll see more momentum in cross-border cooperation in the years ahead. After all, she’s now one of the longest-serving leaders in the Nordics, and that kind of weight matters when prime ministers gather for meetings.

What began as a joke on a toilet roll has evolved into a serious political comeback. For those of us who follow Nordic politics closely, it’s genuinely entertaining 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.