1953, allowing for a unicameral legislature and a
female chief of state

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14
January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the
monarch (born 26 May 1968)

head of government: Prime Minister Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN (since 25
January 1993)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by
Parliament

elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister
appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Folketing (179 seats,
including 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members are
elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation
to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 11 March 1998 (next to be held by March 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
progovernment parties: Social Democratic Party 65, Socialist
People's Party 13, Social Liberal Party 7, Red-Green Unity List 5;
opposition: Liberal Party 43, Conservative Party 17, Danish People's
Party 13, Center Democratic Party 8, Christian People's Party 4,
Progress Party 4; seats by party as of 1 January 2001: government
coalition parties - Social Democrats 63, Social Liberals 7;
pro-government parties - Socialist People's Party 13, Unity List 5;
opposition - Liberals 42, Conservatives 16, Danish People's Party
13, Center Democrats 8, Christian People's Party 4, Progress Party 4
(now named Freedom 2000); does not include the 4 overseas seats

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch
for life)

Political parties and leaders: Center Democratic Party [Mimi
JAKOBSEN]; Christian People's Party [Jann SJURSEN]; Conservative
Party (sometimes known as Conservative People's Party) [Bendt
BENDTSEN]; Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]; Liberal Party
[Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; Progress Party (now named Freedom 2000)
[Kim BEHNKE]; Social Democratic Party [Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN]; Social
Liberal Party (sometimes called the Radical Left) [Marianne JELVED,
leader; Johannes LEBECH, chairman]; Socialist People's Party [Holger
K. NIELSEN]; Red-Green Unity List (bloc includes Left Socialist
Party, Communist Party of Denmark, Socialist Workers' Party)
[collective leadership]

Political pressure grou