Helle Thorning-Schmidt To Be Denmark's First Woman PM

Helle Thorning-Schmidt will be Denmark's first woman prime minister. Photo by BBC

Denmark's center-left has won the country's general election, turning Social Democrat leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt into the country's first woman prime minister, BBC reported.

With all votes counted, the centre-left bloc won 89 seats in Denmark's 179-seat parliament against 86 for the centre-right. Turnout was high at 87.7%.

"We did it... today we've written history," Thorning-Schmidt told jubilant supporters.

She is a former MEP (member of the European Parliament) and is married to Stephen Kinnock, son of British Labour Party politicians Neil and Glenys Kinnock.

Incumbent Lars Lokke Rasmussen has admitted defeat.

He said he had called Thorning-Schmidt to congratulate her, but added:

"Tonight I hand over the keys to the prime minister's office to Helle Thorning-Schmidt. And dear Helle, take good care of them. You're only borrowing them."

Thorning-Schmidt had campaigned on a platform of tax rises and increased public spending, along with an unusual plan to make everyone work 12 minutes more per day.

An extra hour of productivity each week, the Social Democrats argue, would help kick-start growth.

"Denmark needs change, Denmark needs to move on and Denmark needs my leadership," Ms Thorning-Schmidt said.

She also promised to roll back tough immigration laws proposed by a junior partner of the current coalition.

The "Blue Bloc" led by Rasmussen has held power in Denmark for a decade.

The country has seen its worst economic downturn since World War II. Although Denmark is a member of the EU, it has chosen not to adopt the euro.

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