British News Agency

Frederiksen’s Social Democrats have governed the city for more than 100 years, having supplied every mayor since 1938, when the current system came into force.

However, on Tuesday, as Danes vote in municipal and regional elections, opinion polls indicate that the most likely outcome is a defeat for the party’s candidate, a former minister who is believed to have been personally chosen by the Prime Minister.

Among the reasons cited by analysts are fatigue and disappointment with Frederiksen’s hardline policies on integration and migration. These policies have partly inspired the new asylum and migration plan announced by the British government.

Bent Winther, a political commentator for Denmark’s Berlingske newspaper, described the race for Copenhagen’s mayoralty as “more open than ever”, saying: “You can hear the rustle of the wings of history as you approach city hall.”

A poll conducted by Megafon for TV2 earlier this month showed that the Green Left (Socialistisk Folkeparti, known as SF), the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) and the Alternative (Alternativet) are in a position to form a left-leaning majority without the support of the Social Democrats.

If that happens, one of the figures expected to become Copenhagen’s next mayor is Sisse Marie Welling from the Green Left.

The Social Democratic candidate, former minister for social affairs and housing Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, is a friend of Frederiksen and co-owns a summer house with her.