Denmark’s King Frederik has asked centre-right politician Troels Lund Poulsen to try to form a new government after outgoing prime minister Mette Frederiksen failed to secure a coalition despite her party winning the most votes in the March election.

The Social Democrats had the largest share of votes but still suffered their weakest result in over a century, leaving parliament deeply fragmented.

Efforts by Frederiksen to build a left-leaning coalition collapsed after negotiations with centrist and right-leaning parties broke down, including the withdrawal of support from Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s moderates.

King Frederik then formally instructed Poulsen to lead talks aimed at forming a right-wing government without the Social Democrats, The Guardian has reported.

The process is expected to take weeks, and analysts say Frederiksen could still return if the centre-right efforts fail.