Danes have begun voting in an election that might hand Prime ‌Minister Mette Frederiksen a third term thanks to her staunch line against US President Donald Trump over Greenland.

Despite cost-of-living worries hurting her leftist credentials, Frederiksen’s stand against Trump may have saved her political career.

Just months ago, Frederiksen was flailing in national polls.

Many Danes blamed her for not doing enough to protect their Nordic welfare model, while others were weary after nearly seven years of her leadership.

Frederiksen called the vote to seemingly capitalise on an uptick in popularity when Trump’s rhetoric about controlling Greenland intensified in January and he refused to rule out military force.

But the Greenland issue has since moved to a less heated diplomatic track and has been overtaken by domestic concerns, including a proposal for a wealth tax and debates about immigration.

Still, Frederiksen has campaigned on a promise that her tough and ‌tested leadership skills ‌will help the nation of ⁠six million navigate a complex relationship with Washington and a European response to Russia’s war with Ukraine.

“I know that ​sometimes I express myself a bit bluntly,” she said during a recent campaign event.

“But given the times we live in, it is perhaps very good that there are some things that cannot be misunderstood: That Russia should not be allowed to win or that Greenland is not for sale.”

Frederiksen, who has led Denmark since 2019, was the first premier to bridge the left-right divide in Denmark in more than 40 years, but her coalition is projected to lose its parliamentary majority.

Opinion polls show ‌her Social Democrats are headed for their weakest result since before World War II.

“To a large degree, this election is ⁠about Mette Frederiksen,” said political analyst Hans Engell.

He said that while some voters viewed her as ‌the right person at ​a time of crisis, others considered her too authoritarian.

Her Social Democrats, whose tough asylum reforms had alienated some on the left, have recovered in polls since the ​Greenland crisis, rising from ‌a December low of 17 per cent to 21 per cent.

But the left-leaning bloc is still expected to fall short of the 90 seats needed for a majority ​in Denmark’s 179-seat Folketing, with projections pointing to about 85 seats.

With left-wing allies expected to hold firm and the right bloc fractured, however, Frederiksen remains the favourite to form the next government as parties reposition themselves along more traditional left-right lines.

Key campaign issues include her proposal to reintroduce a wealth tax to fund ​investments ​in education and welfare, a move aimed at signalling a leftward shift.

In ​Denmark’s parliamentary system a government need not command a majority – it simply must not ‌have one against it.

The right-leaning bloc is led by Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen of the Liberal Party, while the outcome could hinge on former prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, leader of the centrist Moderates and current foreign minister, who is positioned to play kingmaker.

Voting began on Tuesday morning (local time) and polls close at 8pm, with exit polls ​due shortly after.