Danish Constituent Assembly election, 1848

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Elections for the Constituent Assembly were held in Denmark on 5 October 1848.^[1] Of the 158 seats in the Assembly, 114 were elected and 44 appointed by the King (of which 38 were from Denmark proper, five from Iceland and one from the Faroe Islands).^[2] An additional 31 candidates were to come from the Duchy of Schleswig but were not elected due to the First Schleswig War.^[3]

Background

1848 had seen a series of revolutions across Europe. An insurrection in Holstein together with the political mobilisation of the National Liberal Party in Copenhagen led to the new king Frederick VII installing a new cabinet including National Liberal members.^[4] It was hoped that a cabinet with popular support would allow it to fight the insurrection and draw up a "free constitution" which would change the system of government from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.^[4] Following discussions, it was decided to hold elections for a Constituent Assembly.^[4]

Results

There were only elections in 85 constituencies, as candidates were returned unopposed in the remainder. Together with the royal appointees, right-wing candidates emerged as the largest group with 52–54 seats. Left-wing candidates (congregating around the Society of the Friends of Peasants) won 45–47 seats, centrists 42–44 and others 13–19.^[2] A total of 51,775 votes were cast in the constituencies where elections were held, giving a turnout of 79.7%.^[2]

Aftermath

The Assembly convened between October 1848 and May 1849. A new constitution was passed in May and signed by the King on 5 June.^[2] The new constitution created a bicameral parliament with a directly elected lower house and an indirectly elected upper house.^[2] Elections for the two houses were held in December.^[1]

References

1 2 Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p523 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
1 2 3 4 5 Nohlen & Stöver, p535
↑ Nohlen & Stöver, p502
1 2 3 Nolhen & Stöver, p501

Elections and referendums in Denmark

Folketing elections	1849 1852 1853 (Feb) 1853 (May) 1854 1855 1858 1861 1864 1866 (Jun) 1866 (Oct) 1869 1872 1873 1876 1879 1881 (May) 1881 (Jul) 1884 1887 1890 1892 1895 1898 1901 1903 1906 1909 1910 1913 1915 1918 1920 (Apr) 1920 (Jul) 1920 (Sep) 1924 1926 1929 1932 1935 1939 1943 1945 1947 1950 1953 (Apr) 1953 (Sep) 1957 1960 1964 1966 1968 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1984 1987 1988 1990 1994 1998 2001 2005 2007 2011 2015 Next

Landsting elections	1849 1853 1855 1859 1863 1866 (Jun) 1866 (Oct) 1870 1874 1878 1882 1886 1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1914 1915 1918 1920 (Aug) 1920 (Oct) 1924 1928 1932 1936 1939 1943 (1945) 1947 1951 1953

European elections	1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014

Local elections	1900 1901 1902 1903 1906 1909 1913 1917 1921 1925 1929 1933 1935 1937 1943 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017

Other elections	Constituent Assembly 1848 Rigsraadet 1856 1864 1865

Referendums	1916 1920 1939 1953 1961 1963 1969 1971 1972 1978 1986 1992 1993 1998 2000 2009 2014 2015

See also: Elections and referendums in the Faroe Islands Elections and referendums in Greenland

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