Danish PM aims to expand minority government

COPENHAGEN, Denmark: After 17 months leading a one-party, minority government, Denmark’s center-right prime minister said yesterday he wants to expand his Cabinet and has invited two more parties to join.

Lars Loekke Rasmussen said he had invited the center-right Liberal Alliance and the Conservative Party to join the Cabinet he formed after the June 28, 2015 election. He didn’t call early elections. His Liberal Party holds 34 of Parliament’s 179 seats and can only stay in power with support from the two small parties and the anti-immigration, populist Danish People’s Party. “It will, of course, require that we all make compromises,” Loekke Rasmussen said. “A three-clover government will have many benefits.”

Loekke Rasmussen said the leaders of the Liberal Alliance and Conservative parties were invited to talks starting Monday because the ruling party has more in common with them than with the Danish People’s Party. — AP