Mette Frederiksen: Denmark’s Iron Lady Makes Her Comeback – And Makes Toilet Roll History

It’s not often 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 was told a story that sums up the Danes’ relationship with their Prime Minister. A lad from Aarhus showed me a picture of a toilet roll. On the packaging? You guessed it – a glimpse of Mette Frederiksen. The joke was that she’s so tough she’s “wiping the floor” with Danish politics. It’s exactly that kind of warm, respectful irony that characterises 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 reminded me of the old party leader debates I used to follow closely in my youth. It was nail-biting right to the end, but in the end, there was no doubt: she was back in power. It’s almost unreal to think that just a couple of years ago, Mette Frederiksen’s first government was operating in a completely different reality. Back then, the pandemic was the big talking point, 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 hated and loved, but never ignored.

From the People’s Meeting to new negotiations

What strikes me now is how quickly things can turn in Danish politics. Last summer, I was at a harbour bath in Copenhagen listening to people debating whether she was “finished”. There was a huge row over the mink scandal, and many thought Mette Frederiksen had lost her popular touch. But the woman from Aalborg who started out as a young campaigner 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 the formation of the new government, I see a clear shift from the 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 anchored in the centre, and it’s clearly an attempt to avoid the same mistakes as before. To understand how she’s managed this, 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 from the left to secure a new term in a very long time. That says a lot about her personal appeal.
• The alliances: Where her first government stood alone initially, she’s now brought in several parties to create a broader platform.
• Popular appeal: Whether it’s toilet paper with her face on it or debates about 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 you’re at Christiansborg Palace or down at the supermarket. I remember an episode from last year’s People’s Meeting on Bornholm, where I was queueing for a hot dog. Two older women behind me were discussing her with an intensity as if they were talking about a tricky daughter-in-law or a daughter they were proud of. “She’s got balls,” said one. “Yeah, but she needs to watch herself,” replied the other. That’s the sense of ownership the Danes have over her. They own her, they criticise her, but they won’t let her fall.

The way forward 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. It seems to me 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 when things aren’t on fire. (To use a fitting metaphor, given the toilet paper.)

I suspect we in Norway will feel this too. When things get heated in Danish politics, it always sends waves across the border. But right now, an experienced, tough, and exceptionally sharp politician is at the helm in Copenhagen. Mette Frederiksen has survived the worst, and I’d bet cooperation between our countries will pick up pace going forward. After all, she’s now one of the longest-serving leaders in the Nordics, and that kind of weight matters when prime ministers meet.

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