Danish election: Opposition bloc wins Published duration 19 June 2015

media caption The pollsters underestimated the popularity of the Danish People's Party, as Malcolm Brabant reports

Denmark's opposition parties have beaten the governing coalition after a close general election.

The centre-right group led by ex-PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen beat Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt's centre-left coalition, although her party is the largest.

Ms Thorning-Schmidt has now stood down as Social Democratic Party leader.

The right-wing, anti-immigration Danish People's Party will become the second-largest in parliament.

With almost all votes counted, the centre-right bloc led by Mr Rasmussen had secured the 90 seats needed to form a government in the 179-seat parliament.

Turnout was 85.8%, the interior ministry said.

Talks are due to begin soon on forming a cabinet, which correspondents say could take weeks.

Mr Rasmussen wrote on Facebook that "difficult negotiations lie ahead".

image copyright AFP image caption PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt admitted defeat to Lars Lokke Rasmussen

He told Denmark's Politiken he preferred "the little free bird role, which can make the Danish People's Party come closer to getting our policy through in the real world than you think".

But Mr Dahl could yet be in a position to make a bid to become prime minister.

In a victory speech just before 01:30 local time (23:30 GMT), Mr Rasmussen - who led the country between 2009 and 2011 - said: "Four years ago, we returned the keys to the PM's office. I said [at] that time that they were only a loan."

He said he would push for "control of the flow of refugees".

image copyright EPA image caption Hours before polling Mr Rasmussen (L) joined Helle Thorning-Schmidt in a televised debate

Ms Thorning-Schmidt's governing Social Democratic Party was the biggest party, winning at least 26.3% of the vote , according to Danish broadcaster DR.

But her allies failed to gain as much of the vote as those of the opposition and she stood down as leader after conceding victory.

On Friday morning she presented her resignation as prime minister to Queen Margrethe.

Ms Thorning-Schmidt said she was proud to have led the Social Democratic Party to the highest percentage of the vote, adding: "We lost at the finish line."