Off the wire
• Brazil prepare Neymar defence after provisional ban  • "We need to know how to play without Neymar" - Brazil coach  • Colombia's Carlos Bacca receives provisional match ban  • Urgent: Danish PM says to step down after losing parliamentary election  • Neymar handed out provisional match ban  • Neymar should go to Hollywood, says ex-Colombia forward  • Urgent: Danish PM says to step down after losing parliamentary election  • Bayern youngster Mitchell Weiser joins Hertha Berlin  • 2nd LD Writethru: U.S. House passes fast-track trade legislation  • Urgent: Denmark's opposition coalition wins parliamentary election  
You are here: 　 Home

1st LD Writethru: Danish PM concedes election defeat, says to resign

Xinhua, June 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt on Friday conceded defeat in Thursday's parliamentary election and said she would step down as chairwoman of the Social Democratic Party.

Denmark's opposition coalition, led by Lars Loekke Rasmussen of The Liberals, beat the incumbent center-left government in the 2015 parliamentary election, which turned out to be a tight race.

"Thanks for letting me lead this party for 10 years. I stand by my responsibility and it is now time to step down," Thorning- Schmidt said in a speech delivered shortly after the election results were revealed.

"I have been the first prime minister in Denmark, but I will not be the last," she told her cheering party members.

Thorning-Schmidt said Rasmussen should now form a new government. "It will not be easy, but I know that he loves his country," she said. Endite