Denmark: A Political Guide

· Denmark is currently ruled by a center-right coalition of two parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives, led by Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The coalition has been in power since 2001, and was re-elected in 2005. Mr Fogh Rasmussen is now seeking a record third mandate and is hoping to capitalize on a positive economic situation. The parties want to reduce taxes and reform the Danish welfare state.

· The opposition is led by the Social Democrats. Their leader, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, became the party's first female leader when elected in 2005. The party is campaigning on a platform of protecting the welfare state, combating increased inequalities in society, and fighting global warming by pledging to source 45% of Denmark's energy from renewable sources by 2025. If elected, Ms Thorning-Schmidt would become the country's first female prime minister. She is married to Stephen Kinnock, son of Neil and Glenys.

· The far-right Danish People's party, the country's third political force, is campaigning on a platform of defending Danish values they say are under threat from immigrants. Last month, it used a picture of the prophet Muhammad on election material, under the slogan "Freedom of expression is Danish, censorship is not".

· Denmark has several other, smaller parties, including centrist movements such as the Social Liberal Party, the Socialist People's Party, and the far-left Red-Green Alliance, formed in 1989 by the remnants of three former communist groups and the Green party.