Folketing facts for kids
The Folketing (Danish: Folketinget) is the national parliament of Denmark. The name means "People's thing." A "thing" is an old word for a meeting where people make decisions. The Folketing is the main group that makes laws for Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.
The Folketing meets in Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark. There are 179 members in the Folketing. Most members (175) are from Denmark. Two members are from Greenland, and two are from the Faroe Islands. All members are chosen by the people in elections. This is called being democratically elected.
Greenland and the Faroe Islands also have their own parliaments. These parliaments can make some laws for their own areas. But the Folketing makes the most important laws for all of Denmark.
The Folketing is where different political parties in Denmark meet. They talk about important issues for Danish people. They also vote on new laws. The Folketing is also where the Government of Denmark is formed. This happens when several parties agree to work together. They form a group called a coalition government. This group must have more than half of all the members in the Folketing. This is called having a majority.
Denmark uses a special voting system called proportional voting. This means that if a party gets a certain percentage of votes, they get about the same percentage of seats. This helps make sure that many different political ideas are heard.
The person in charge of the Folketing is called the Speaker. The Speaker sits at the front of the meeting room. The members sit in front of the Speaker in a big half-circle shape.
Contents
History of the Folketing
From 1849 to 1953, the Folketing was part of a bigger parliament. This parliament was called the "Rigsdag." The Rigsdag had two parts, like two different rooms. One part was the Folketing. The other part was called the "Landsting."
The Folketing had members like farmers, traders, and merchants. The Landsting was made up of rich people in society. It included members of the nobility. These members were chosen by the King of Denmark.
In 1953, the Landsting was removed. After that, the Folketing became the only part of the parliament. The Rigsdag then became known only as the Folketing.
Recent Elections
How Members Are Chosen
Members of the Folketing are chosen in a general election. This is when people across the country vote for who they want to represent them. The most recent general election happened on 15 September 2011.
Election Results 2011
Before the 2011 election, a group of parties called the centre-right coalition was in charge. This group was led by the Liberal Party. But in the 2011 election, they lost. A new group, a centre-left coalition, won. This new group was led by the Social Democrats.
The Social Liberal Party and the Socialist People's Party joined with the Social Democrats. Together, these three parties formed the new government. They had 89 seats in the Folketing.
Images for kids
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Christiansborg Palace, the location of the Folketing chamber since 1849
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Bertel Haarder (V) making a speech
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View from the gallery
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Representation per party between 1918 and 2019
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Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the three branches of government: the Folketing, the Prime Minister's Office and the Supreme Court. Here it is surrounded by posters, a typical scene during an election season.
See also
In Spanish: Folketing para niños
