Former Danish prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen looked set to become the kingmaker after Denmark's election on Tuesday, in which neither the ruling left nor right-wing opposition appeared to win a majority in parliament, according to early projections.
Such an outcome could for the first time in more than four decades pave the way for a government spanning the traditional left-right divide and would transform the Nordic country's political landscape.
Denmark's centre-left parties led by Social Democratic prime minister Mette Frederiksen were projected to win 82 seats in the 179-seat parliament, losing their majority, an early vote count of more than a third of votes by public broadcaster DR showed.
It also indicated that Rasmussen's Moderates party, founded only four months ago, stood to become the fourth biggest in parliament with 16 seats.
The right-wing opposition appeared on course for 77 seats, and could thus also form a government with Rasmussen's mandate.
The Liberals, Rasmussen's ex-party and the main opposition, looked set to win only 25 seats, down from 43 previously, which would be the party's worst result since 1988.
Early vote counts in Denmark can differ markedly from the final results.
A reliable, preliminary outcome is due to be announced between midnight and 2am local time on Wednesday morning.
Frederiksen has campaigned for a broad coalition across the political middle, arguing that political unity is needed at a time of international uncertainty.
Rasmussen floated the idea of a mainstream parties coalition during the last election in 2019, arguing that smaller and more extremist parties had become too influential. His own government was dependent on the anti-immigration Danish People's Party.
Rasmussen has stubbornly declined to say who he would choose as the next premier, but has conditioned his support for Frederiksen on an investigation into her legal liability in a 2020 scandal around an order to cull the country's entire mink herd.
Rasmussen served as prime minister from 2009 to 2011 and again from 2015 to 2019.
