Man credited with cooling Greenland tensions with Donald Trump is poised to play central role in any coalition deal

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At the end of a long, gruelling night for the biggest parties on the right and left, there was one veteran of Danish politics who came out of Tuesday’s general election with a smile on his face – and a pipe in his mouth.

Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the two-time prime minister whose Moderates party is not aligned with the country’s left or right-leaning political blocs, is poised to play a central role in any coalition deal reached in the coming weeks.

Clearly enjoying himself, and still carrying his pipe, Rasmussen, 61, urged the leaders of the Social Democrats and the liberal Venstre party on Tuesday night to “come down from the trees” and join him on the centre ground.