Denmark's intelligence services have warned that Russia may attempt to interfere in the country's general election scheduled for 24 March, with the threat exacerbated by US efforts to seize Greenland. The PET police intelligence service and FE military intelligence issued a joint statement cautioning that the election campaign could be marked by disinformation and cyberattacks aimed at sowing division and influencing public debate.
According to the agencies, the primary threat of interference comes from Russia, but other state actors could also be involved. They noted that the United States' stated desire to take control of Greenland has led to the spread of disinformation about Denmark, potentially creating uncertainty ahead of the vote. The intelligence services added that US attention on Denmark has created 'new international fault lines' that foreign states like Russia and China could exploit for influence.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the election on Thursday, citing the shadow cast by Russia as one of Denmark's biggest threats, and also highlighting US President Donald Trump's demands to control Greenland. Frederiksen was required to hold an election before 31 October, and analysts suggest she chose the 24 March date because her popularity has risen in recent polls following her rejection of Trump's demands.
A recent TV2 poll shows 21% of voters would support Frederiksen's Social Democrat party, placing it first despite a 6.5 percentage point drop from its 2022 election score. However, the party suffered significant losses in last year's municipal elections, losing control of nearly half the municipalities it previously held, including Copenhagen.
