# Borgen **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2017, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/borgen/789362 "2017-06-19T07:22:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/borgen/789362/21 "2017-06-26T09:15:14Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > I’m fascinated by the nuances in Parliamentary elections, particularly in times of potential significant shifts in the social consensus. There are just so may possibilities and, via tactical voting, the public can respond to very specific politicians, policies, and circs. > > I love how the UK public delivered a minority gov after the financial crisis, I love how they did that again for the Brexit negotiations; they basically don’t trust the whole bunch of them but at least one party can’t fuck up the country alone. > > In more certain times - and in more confident mood - they will again deliver majority leadership but only if, in their judgement, the policies and leaders are up to it. > > I’m constantly amazed - and that dates back to 1945 and Clem Atlee’s trouncing of Winston Churchill. Agreed, If I could I’d vote for a hung parliament, keeps the buggers honest. I may be in a minority but I think the outcome of the last election was the best possible thing for the country. As for “Borgen”. I enjoyed it too. I love the political shenanigans and it doesn’t hurt that the PM is easy on the eye. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/borgen/789362/22 "2017-06-26T15:23:22Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > That is a feature, not a bug. Since 1901? Through the Great Depression and two world wars? Disagree. Sometimes a national government ought to be able to get stuff done without worrying about annoying a coalition partner, or two, or three. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/borgen/789362/23 "2017-06-26T18:26:27Z")
Denmark seems not to have unduly suffered: Failed States Index: 173 of 177, Democracy: 3 of 167, Transparency: 1 of 180, etc > **[International rankings of Denmark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_rankings_of_Denmark)** > > The following are links to international rankings of Denmark. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/borgen/789362/24 "2017-06-26T20:20:28Z")
Imagine how they’d dominate Europe today if they didn’t always need to cobble together coalition governments! ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/borgen/789362/25 "2017-06-26T21:44:35Z")
If only they had a bunch of founding fathers! ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/borgen/789362/26 "2017-06-28T05:50:42Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Imagine how they’d dominate Europe today if they didn’t always need to cobble together coalition governments! Yeah, like we really need dominant Danes. :rolleyes: Like a lot of people, I have a soft spot for the modern happy, mumbly, drunken socialists of Denmark, but back when their forebears _were_ projecting power they managed to annoy people as empires do. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/borgen/789362/27 "2017-06-28T05:58:25Z")
More seriously, I don’t think **Elendil’s Heir** gets it. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Since 1901? Through the Great Depression and two world wars? Disagree. Sometimes a national government ought to be able to get stuff done without worrying about annoying a coalition partner, or two, or three. All normal, non-tyrannical politics is about coalition, and so it was in northern Europe even in feudal days. You’re wishing for a unifying national majority party without understanding how much that would still be a coalition; and without seeing why such a party is unnecessary in a nation that already has a strong national identity. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/borgen/789362/28 "2017-06-28T13:40:44Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > More seriously, I don’t think **Elendil’s Heir** gets it… Gee, thanks, but I think I do. The PM in _Borgen_ has a lot of trouble from the outset, assembling a coalition of several different parties that disagree on numerous issues into an unwieldy governing coalition. Then she has to spend a lot of time and effort holding her government together whenever a crisis arises. American presidents and British PMs, for example, have, since 1901, often been able to effectively govern without having to do that. No Danish PM has, since 1901. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/borgen/789362.md?page=1)