Folketing

The Folketing (Danish: Folketinget [ˈfʌlkəˌtsʰe̝ŋˀð̩], lit. 'the People's Thing'), also known as the Parliament of Denmark or the Danish Parliament in English, is the unicameral national legislature (parliament) of the Kingdom of Denmark — Denmark proper together with the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Established in 1849, the Folketing was the lower house of the bicameral parliament called the Rigsdag until 1953; the upper house was the Landsting. The Folketing meets in Christiansborg Palace, on the island of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen. It passes all laws, approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government. It is also responsible for adopting the state's budgets and approving the state's accounts. As set out in the Constitution of Denmark, the Folketing shares power with the reigning monarch. But in practice, the monarch's role is limited to signing laws passed by the legislature; this must be done within 30 days of adoption. The Folketing consists of 179 members; including two from Greenland and two from the Faroe Islands. General elections must be held every four years, but it is within the powers of the prime minister to ask the monarch to call for an election before the term has elapsed. On a vote of no confidence, the Folketing may force a single minister or the entire government to resign. Members are democratically elected by proportional representation: 135 directly in constituencies using the D'Hondt method, alongside 40 leveling seats. The Danish political system has traditionally generated coalitions. Most post-war governments have been minority coalitions ruling with the support of non-government parties. The first sitting of the house is usually attended by the king.