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circulation. With little more than a hard core of followers, the DKP remains of some concern only for its slight potential as a subversive group.
3. Splinter parties
In the Danish multi-party system parties which do not attract sufficient popular support to command parliamentary representation may continue to exist a long time. Only 16,300 signatures were needed for such a party to qualify for electoral purposes in 1971, so it is relatively easy for many of them to survive years of political failure.
Of the splinter parties that have come and gone, two that competed in the September 1971 election have displayed a certain longevity; although unable to win a single seat, they have in the past had Folketing representation. Two other more ephemeral group, the Independent Party and the Liberal Center, did not compete in 1971. A brief description of the history and goals of these four formations should suffice to illustrate the fringe area of the Danish multi-party parliamentary system.
a. Justice Party
The existence of the Justice Party is a tribute to Danish idealism and individualism. Basing its program on the teachings of the 19th century American reformer Henry George, the party has attempted to propagate the thesis that wealth derives from the unearned increment accruing to those who own land, and that the betterment of society should be promoted by a "single tax" on land. In addition to this generally discredited nostrum, the Justice Party has preached its patron saint's tenets of personal freedom for the individual, equality before the law, and minimal state interference in social and economic life. The party has advanced few specific remedies for foreign policy problems, but rather it has dispensed a generalized doctrine of international cooperation in economic, social, and cultural matters. It has spoken out against Danish membership in the EC, favoring instead a worldwide free trade area.
The promise of an uncluttered Utopian existence has brought the party votes from many who have been disillusioned with the efforts of the government parties. Among those embracing the party cause have been small farmers, intellectuals, and assorted middle class malcontents.
Officially established in 1919, the Justice Party was represented in the Folketing from 1926 until 1957. It reached its zenith in 1950, with 12 seats, only to drop out of parliament completely less than a decade later. It failed to make an impressive showing after joining the Social Democratic-Radical Liberal government in 1957. The party was further weakened by the inability of its members to agree on issues not directly explained by George. By the mid-1960s a leader rationalized the decline of the party by maintaining that its objectives had largely been met. He conceded that the party was becoming an anachronism. The Justice Party contested the 1964, 1966, 1968, and 1971 elections, but on each occasion fell far short of gaining parliamentary representation.
b. Schleswig Party
The Schleswig Party seeks to represent the German minority in southern Jutland, near the German border. From 1920 to 1943 and from 1953 to 1964 the party held a single seat in the Folketing. At its peak in 1939 the party polled slightly over 15,000 votes. It received fewer than 10,000 votes in 1964 and did not contest the 1966 election. Renewing its bid in 1968 and 1971, it garnered slightly less than 7,000 ballots on each occasion. During the Nazi occupation of Denmark, many ethnic Germans living on Danish soil played an openly collaborationist role. The Schleswig Party has sought to repair the resulting grave damage to its image in the country at large. It is pledged to loyalty to Denmark and aims at cultural contact with the people of West Germany and at peaceful relations between Danes and West Germans in the border region.
c. Independent Party
The Independent Party was founded in 1953 by disgruntled conservatives from the Moderate Liberal Party who opposed the basic constitutional amendments of that year. Taking their stand toward the far right of the political spectrum, the Independents were able to rally some ex-Conservatives to their cause. Pledging themselves to work for self-determination for the Danish minority in German Schleswig, the Independents established their main power base in neighboring Jutland. A scattering of large landowners and businessmen was attracted to the party, as were some persons convicted of collaboration with the Germans during World War II.
The Independent Party promotes a program opposed to strong, centralized government. The party has advocated the re-establishment of the two-house parliament and has called for constitutional revision which would restrict party power and increase the direct influence of the electorate. Additionally, it favors a more precise separation between the legislative and executive branches of government and a simplification of governmental administration. It
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