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]

Denmark constitutional monarchy in Europe

Denmark, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, is a Nordic country and the southernmost of the Scandinavian nations. Denmark lies southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and is bordered to the south by Germany. The Kingdom of Denmark also comprises two autonomous constituent countries in the North Atlantic Ocean: the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Denmark proper consists of a peninsula, Jutland, and an archipelago of 443 named islands, with the largest being Zealand, Funen and the North Jutlandic Island. The islands are characterised by flat, arable land and sandy coasts, low elevation and a temperate climate. Denmark has a total area of 42,924 km2 (16,573 sq mi), land area of 42,394 km2 (16,368 sq mi), and the total area including Greenland and the Faroe Islands is 2,210,579 km2 (853,509 sq mi), and a population of 5.8 million.

Iceland island republic in Northern Europe

Iceland is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic, with a population of 348,580 and an area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi), making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík, with Reykjavík and the surrounding areas in the southwest of the country being home to over two-thirds of the population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior consists of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains, and glaciers, and many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, with most of the archipelago having a tundra climate.

Faroe Islands Autonomus constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark

The Faroe Islands, or the Faeroe Islands—a North Atlantic archipelago located 200 miles (320 km) north-northwest of the United Kingdom and about halfway between Norway and Iceland—are an autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark. Total area is about 1,400 square kilometres (540 sq mi) with a population of 50,322 in October 2017.

Contents

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]

Revolutions of 1848 Series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848

The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, People's Spring, Springtime of the Peoples, or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in European history.

Holstein Region of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany.

The National Liberal Party was a Danish political party or political movement from 1842 until 1882.

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]

The Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply the Constitution, is the constitution of the Kingdom of Denmark, applying equally in Denmark proper, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. In its present form, the Constitutional Act is from 1953, but the principal features of the Act go back to 1849, making it one of the oldest constitutions.

Folketing Parliament of Denmark

The Folketing, also known as the Danish Parliament in English, is the unicameral national parliament (legislature) of Denmark. Established in 1849, until 1953 the Folketing was the lower house of a bicameral parliament, called the Rigsdag; the upper house was Landstinget. It meets in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen.

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References

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