3.2.3 Denmark Government
Description
This article is from the Nordic countries FAQ, by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson, with numerous contributions by others.
3.2.3 Denmark Government
According to the constitution Denmark is a constitutional monarchy
with the legislative power jointly vested in the regent and the
Parliament, but the responsibility for the actions of the king/queen
solely taken by the ministers in the Cabinet. The Evangelical Lutheran
Church is supported by the State as a State Church.
The parliamentary system has been unicameral since 1953; the
parliament is called the 'Folketing'. The 179 members (of which two
are elected in Greenland and two in the Faroe Islands) are elected for
four-year terms. The Prime Minister can call an early election. For
the last 20 years there have never been fewer than 8 parties
represented in the Folketing.
Denmark is a member of the European Union, and elects 16 members of
the European parliament. The Faroes and Greenland, on the other hand,
are outside the EU.
Since 1955 Denmark has had an ombudsman, who oversees the conduct of
the cabinet and the decisions of the administration. All citizens have
the right to appeal government actions to the ombudsman.
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