So the blue parties finally got a grip and aimed their fire at the government.

An unwavering demand for tax cuts at the bottom has been placed on the table for a tax reform.

And like four musketeers heading into tax negotiations, the leaders of Venstre, the Conservatives, Liberal Alliance, and the Denmark Democrats have also sworn allegiance to each other in Børsen: Either they are all part of a tax agreement with the government, or none of them are.

But are the four blue parties actually hitting the government where it hurts with their unwavering demand for tax cuts at the bottom, which primarily benefits those with lower and middle incomes – or have they actually ended up shooting themselves in the foot ahead of a crucial showdown?

That is exactly where *Magtens Morgenbrief* begins today, as negotiations on a tax reform also get underway.

According to two former advisors in the Prime Minister's Office, Thomas Juul-Dam and Jacob Bruun, who have long called for a more aggressive opposition, this has missed the mark entirely.

And if you ask whether there isn't at least a small point to the opposition for managing to form a united front against the government, they answer in unison:

- No.

Yes, the two gentlemen are hard to please, but in fact, they believe the government should even be relieved by the opposition's demands.

Because now their opponents at the negotiating table have shown their hand.

- If I were in government, I think I would think: Well, that was actually quite nice, says Jacob Bruun about the interview in Børsen with the party leaders from Liberal Alliance, the Denmark Democrats, the Conservatives, and Venstre.

If Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard (S) and Tax Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt (M) are skilled enough, then according to Bruun, they should be able to accommodate the blue parties' demands.

Tax Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt will try to land a tax reform with – at a minimum – one of the blue parties, while Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard will be at the head of the table when a finance bill is to be negotiated with the Red-Green Alliance. (Photo: © Mathias Svold, Berlingske/Ritzau Scanpix)

- The worst thing is negotiating with people you don't know where you have them, and you have no idea what they want to achieve or what their limit is. Now the four parties have shown where they stand, he says.

Since the government's supporting party, the Red-Green Alliance, has long said a huge no to the government's tax reform, which among other things aims to abolish the top-top tax, lower the corporate tax, and remove the middle tax, the government is dependent on at least one of the blue parties.

And Thomas Juul-Dam calls it a huge relief for the government that the blue parties are ready to negotiate.

- This is really a good day at the office for the government.

In the latest episode of the podcast Magten, we talk about the blue parties' attempt to pressure the government. You can find the episode via the link below.

Both former advisors point out that the blue parties' main demand for a tax cut at the bottom is not difficult for the government to accommodate, even though tax cuts at the bottom are not part of the government's proposal.

It would have been far more troublesome for the government if the blue parties had wanted to sweeten life for businesses and executives, because that would have hit the government.

But they are going after tax cuts at the bottom.

- Their main demand is absolutely the easiest to accommodate for a left-leaning government, says Jacob Bruun.

- The problem with this is that it doesn't really hurt the government.

- The opposition has a job, and that is to get out of bed in the morning and then annoy the government. I really don't think they manage that.

Thomas Juul-Dam calls the demand from the four blue parties "the most palatable" demand for the government. At all.

Instead, he believes the blue bloc should have demanded tax cuts that would have stung the Social Democrats and the Socialist People's Party.

- It should target a demographic that the government wants to do well for, says Thomas Juul-Dam, who with his usual cynicism believes the blue parties should have figured out how to play the four government parties against each other. Then the opposition would have been in business, according to him.

According to Thomas Juul-Dam and Jacob Bruun, the negotiations on a tax reform are truly the opposition's chance to pressure the government, and therefore they should play even harder to get, because otherwise they will end up playing themselves out of the game.

- If this means that a government with Lars Løkke and Mette Frederiksen, with support from the Red-Green Alliance, can implement blue policies, then there is presumably no reason not to vote for the blue parties again, says Jacob Bruun.

Thomas Juul-Dam agrees. He is convinced that the government parties are "overjoyed."

- Now they have just shown that they are a government that works roughly toward the center, that can make deals with the blue side.

But then again, the negotiations are just about to begin, so let's see if the opposition has more cards up its sleeve.

The Danish People's Party is, in several opinion polls, set to become the largest party in the blue bloc. In the latest Epinion poll, the party is set to get 12.7 percent of the vote. In the parliamentary election, the party got 9.1 percent of the vote. (Photo: © Emil Nicolai Helms, Ritzau Scanpix)

Oh yes, and then there's the question of the Danish People's Party. Why isn't DF leader Morten Messerschmidt allowed to be the fifth musketeer?

Why is the party that, in the polls, is set to become the largest of the blue ones, not part of the opposition's joint proposal?

If they really wanted to break through, shouldn't they do it together?

The blue parties themselves say that the government hasn't even invited the Danish People's Party to the negotiations, and therefore Morten Messerschmidt is not part of their tax band. The government doesn't quite agree with that interpretation, as we understand it.

The Danish People's Party, however, takes it completely coolly.

Anders Vistisen thinks it's perfectly fine that the four parties come and go together, he says, while also delivering this elegant jab:

- We are happy to support these four slightly smaller blue parties, he says.

Ah yes, so much for unity in the blue bloc.

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.