The Parliamentary System of Denmark 3 4 Contents Foreword 7 History of the parliamentary system of Denmark 9 Parliament building 11 Danish form of government 12 Electoral system 15 Sessional year and work in the Chamber 19 Committee readings 22 The Folketing Services 27 5 Cabinet responsibility was introduced in 1901. This meant that it became possible for a parliamen- tary majority to over- throw the Government. 6 Foreword Danish democracy was introduced gradually as a result of foreign influences as well as of national debates and intellectual fights which had been going on for generations. It is founded largely on the ideas which saw the light of day in the 18th and 19th centuries as a reaction against royal absolutism. One of the main thoughts originated in the belief that power as exercised in society should not be the right of the upper classes but of the lower, it should stem from the people. All men are born equal and are therefore entitled to vote at elections to legislative assemblies. After several decades of intellectual fights aimed at introducing a liberal Constitution, the central principles of Danish democracy were laid down in the Constitutional Act of June 1849, and they remain to this day the backbone of the present Constitutional Act of June 5th 1953. Today, Danish democracy is safeguarded by being a representative government built on individual rights laid down in the Constitutional Act. These rights comprise personal and political rights of freedom as well the freedom of speech, the freedom of assembly, the freedom of association and the freedom of belief. Furthermore, Danish democracy is characterized by universal suffrage, secret ballot, proportional representation, a unicameral system and Cabinet responsibility. Though Danish democracy is a sound and very lively form of democracy, it is important to bear in mind that democracy must never wither away. And since the date on which it was first introduced in Denmark, democracy has been undergoing a continuous process of development. Future challenges will, likewise, require changes if the living democra- cy is not to die. The Danish population as well as the Members of the Folketing need to make an active contribution to keep it this way. Parliament’s Interactive Visitors’ Centre entitled “Politician for one single day” has been set up in order to encourage young per- sons – throughout the year - to participate actively in promoting Danish democracy. The present edition of “The Parliamentary System of Denmark” gives an outline of how Danish democracy actually works. And the booklet also gives you an overview of the parliamentary Administration and of the tasks with which the civil servants and staff are dealing. Christian Mejdahl Speaker of the Folketing The Folketing, Copenhagen, November 2005 7 After 1814, the Danish political system was strongly influenced by developments in Europe. Liberal forces were heard speaking in favour of an increasing share in government on the part of the people. 8 History of the parliamentary system of Denmark Danish democracy is founded on the King signed a new democratic It was only after the year 1900 that the thoughts the seeds of which were Constitution. The Constitutional Act liberal farmers' party, entitled the sown in 18th century Europe as a reac- of 1849 was strongly influenced by the Liberal Party, came into power. But tion against royal absolutism which Belgian Constitutional Act of 1830 in the Party did not dominate legislation was introduced as the form of govern- its structure and mode of thought as for long due to internal cleavages and ment in Denmark in 1660. well as by the Norwegian Constitu- a permanent conflict with the Con- tional Act of 1814. These Consti- servative majority of the Landsting. In The transition from absolutism to re- tutions can again be said to build on 1915, an amendment was made to presentative government was on the 18th century ideas primarily formula- the Constitutional Act which meant whole a gradual process. There was no ted by Montesquieu and Rousseau. that the power of the Landsting was question of a revolution, for although The Danish Constitutional Act of 1849 limited, women got the right to vote, the ruling monarch had almost was extremely liberal and contained and a more just electoral system, absolute power, absolutism in provisions on i.a. universal suffrage, introducing the system of proportion- Denmark was to a large extent a colle- freedom of assembly, freedom of con- al representation came into use. giate form of government; at the end science and universal military service. of the 18th century it included the During the First World War, from 1914 foremost men of the Age of Enlighten- In the years succeeding the first to 1918, Denmark remained neutral ment. They carried through a social Constitutional Act, reactionary cur- vis-à-vis the combatants. And the and economic revolution that covered rents instigated by large estate own- Government succeeded in keeping agricultural reforms, abolition of ers and civil servants, supported by the country out of the War. adscription and school reforms for the the new King, as well as political pres- ordinary population. sure from foreign countries, led to cur- In the interwar period, Denmark like tailments in the liberal Constitution. many other European countries expe- At the beginning of the 19th century, Conservative forces made use of the rienced a heavy migration from coun- Denmark was involved in the wars continued confrontations with the try to town pari passu with the grow- between Germany, Britain and France. most southern pro-German duchies – ing industrialization. This meant a Admiral Nelson defeated the Danish which in 1864 led to a military defeat strengthening of the Social Demo- fleet in the Battle of Copenhagen in for Denmark and a victory for Prussia cratic Party, which took the place of 1801, the British bombarded Copen- and Austria – to make amendments to the Liberal Party as the dominating hagen and seized the Danish fleet in the Constitution. party in the Folketing. 1807, the State went bankrupt and subsequent to the peace negotiations The election rules applying to the During the Second World War, in Vienna in 1814, Denmark had to Upper Chamber, the Landsting, were Denmark again observed neutrality cede Norway and accept that the most amended in 1866, in a way that gave but irrespective of this fact, Nazi southern part of the Kingdom, the large estate-owners and men of busi- Germany occupied Denmark in 1940. Duchy of Holstein, was integrated in ness a permanent majority. As the The Occupation lasted until May 1945. the German federation. King chose his Ministers from the After the Liberation, the Danish same circles, the popularly elected Freedom Council, which was set up by After 1814, the Danish political sys- liberal Folketing was put out of the the Resistance Movement, together tem was strongly influenced by deve- running especially in the period from with the largest political parties from lopments in Europe. Liberal forces 1884 to 1894 when the Government the interwar period formed a coalition were heard speaking in favour of an issued the annual Finance Acts with- Government which was later to be increasing share in government on the out consulting Parliament. replaced by Social Democratic part of the people. And in 1849 the Governments. The latter dominated 9 Danish politics up to some time in the a division between the legislative, the goes against it. The Folketing’s 1960s apart from short intervals with executive and the judicial powers. In influence on the executive power is Liberal-Conservative Governments. accordance with the Constitutional limited to issuing general guidelines Act of the Kingdom of Denmark, via legislation and to controlling the In 1953, one of these Governments "Legislative authority shall be vested Government’s activities. If the execu- passed an amendment to the Consti- in the King and the Folketing conjoint- tive power acts contrary to the majo- tutional Act which finally settled the ly. Executive authority shall be vested rity of the Folketing, the latter can everlasting conflict with the reac- in the King. Judicial authority shall be overthrow the Government by moving tionary forces of the past by abolish- vested in the courts of justice". As one a vote of no confidence. On the other ing the Landsting and strengthening will realize the idea behind the triparti- hand, the Government can, at any the Folketing. tion of the powers is to balance them time, dissolve the Folketing and issue against one another. Section 15 in the writs for an election. From the end of the 1960s up to 1982, Constitutional Act, which deals with Denmark had alternating Social the parliamentary principle, lays down Democratic and Liberal minority that "A Minister shall not remain in Governments and from 1982 to 1993 office after the Folketing has passed a conservatively dominated minority vote of no confidence in him". Governments. In January 1993, the Social Democratic Party and the three An important feature of the Danish small liberal parties, the Centre system is that a Government need not Democrats, the Social Liberal Party be supported by a majority – as long and the Christian People's Party as it is not outvoted by a majority formed a coalition Government sup- (negative Cabinet responsibility). ported by the smallest possible majo- rity (90 seats out of 179). Subsequent Another important feature of the to the 1994 general election, the Danish parliamentary system is that Christian People’s Party was no longer the Constitutional Act lays down that represented in Parliament, and from "The Members of the Folketing shall be 1996 the Centre Democrats were no elected for a period of four years". Still longer part of the Government.