Anders Fogh Rasmussen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
S.K.
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Rasmussen in 2013
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| Secretary General of NATO | |
| In office 1 August 2009 – 1 October 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Jaap de Hoop Scheffer |
| Succeeded by | Jens Stoltenberg |
| Prime Minister of Denmark | |
| In office 27 November 2001 – 5 April 2009 |
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| Monarch | Margrethe II |
| Deputy | Bendt Bendtsen Lene Espersen |
| Preceded by | Poul Nyrup Rasmussen |
| Succeeded by | Lars Løkke Rasmussen |
| Leader of Venstre | |
| In office 18 March 1998 – 17 May 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Uffe Ellemann-Jensen |
| Succeeded by | Lars Løkke Rasmussen |
| Minister of Economic Affairs | |
| In office 18 December 1990 – 19 November 1992 |
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| Prime Minister | Poul Schlüter |
| Preceded by | Niels Helveg Petersen |
| Succeeded by | Thor Pedersen |
| Minister of Taxation | |
| In office 10 September 1987 – 19 November 1992 |
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| Prime Minister | Poul Schlüter |
| Preceded by | Isi Foighel |
| Succeeded by | Peter Brixtofte |
| Member of the Folketing | |
| In office 1 July 1978 – 20 April 2009 |
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| Constituency | Zealand Greater |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 January 1953 Ginnerup, Denmark |
| Political party | Venstre |
| Spouse |
Anne-Mette Rasmussen
(m. 1978) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | Knud Rasmussen Martha Rasmussen |
| Alma mater | Aarhus University |
Anders Fogh Rasmussen S.K. (born 26 January 1953) is a Danish politician. He was the Prime Minister of Denmark from November 2001 to April 2009. After that, he became the Secretary General of NATO from August 2009 to October 2014.
After leaving public office, he started a political advice company called Rasmussen Global. He also founded the Alliance of Democracies Foundation. This group works to support democracy around the world. He also advises big companies like Citigroup and the Boston Consulting Group.
Rasmussen was first elected to the Folketing (the Danish parliament) in 1978. He held several government jobs, including Minister of Tax and Minister of Economic Affairs. Early in his career, he wrote a book called From Social State to Minimal State (1993). In this book, he suggested making the Danish welfare system smaller. However, his ideas became more moderate during the 1990s.
In 1998, he became the leader of the Venstre party. His party formed a government with the Conservative People's Party in 2001. They won elections again in 2005 and 2007. His government often worked with the Danish People's Party. This is common in Denmark, where governments often don't have a full majority.
His government made rules to limit immigration. They also froze tax rates. Some taxes were lowered. Rasmussen also led a big change in how Denmark was governed. He reduced the number of local councils and replaced the old counties with five new regions. He called this the "biggest reform in thirty years."
He left his job as Prime Minister in 2009 to become the Secretary General of NATO. NATO is a military alliance. He worked to expand NATO's role beyond its original goals. His time at NATO ended in 2014.
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About Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen was born in 1953 in Ginnerup, Denmark. His parents were Knud and Martha Rasmussen. His middle name, Fogh, comes from his mother's family name. People often call him Fogh Rasmussen to tell him apart from other politicians with the same last name.
He went to Viborg Cathedral School and studied economics at the University of Aarhus. He graduated in 1978. He has been involved in politics for most of his life. He has also written books about taxes and how governments are set up. He married Anne-Mette in 1978. They have three children and six grandchildren.
Rasmussen enjoys cycling. He even rode part of the famous Alpe d'Huez stage of the Tour de France in 2008. He is not related to the previous Prime Minister, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, or his successor, Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
Early Political Life
Rasmussen started his political career by winning a seat in the Danish parliament (the Folketing) in 1978. He has worked in both government and opposition roles.
His Political Ideas
Generally, Rasmussen believes in making government smaller and allowing more private businesses. He also supports centralizing some government services.
In his 1993 book, From Social State to Minimal State, he suggested big changes to Denmark's welfare system. He wanted lower taxes and less government involvement in people's and companies' lives.
Leaving a Minister Role
From 1987 to 1992, he served as Minister for Taxation and later Minister for Economy and Taxation. In 1992, he stepped down from these jobs. This happened after a report said he had given incomplete information to parliament. He disagreed with the report's findings but chose to leave his posts.
Becoming Prime Minister in 2001
His Liberal party, Venstre, won the election in November 2001. This was a big change in Danish politics. It was the first time since 1920 that the Social Democratic Party was not the largest party in parliament. This allowed Rasmussen to form his first government.
Prime Minister of Denmark
After the 2001 election, Venstre formed a government with the Conservative People's Party. They also had support from the Danish People's Party. This group stayed in power after the 2005 and 2007 elections.
Once he became Prime Minister, Rasmussen's views became more moderate. He seemed to be inspired by ideas like the "Third Way," which tries to find a middle ground in politics.
His government put in place strict rules to limit the number of immigrants coming to Denmark. This included rules for people seeking asylum or marrying someone from another country. These policies were often supported by the Danish People's Party.
Tax Changes
After the 2001 elections, Rasmussen's party stopped all tax increases. They argued that taxes had grown too much under the previous government. This "tax stop" was popular with voters.
In 2009, a major tax reform was introduced. The overall tax rate was lowered. The highest tax rate was not changed, but fewer people had to pay it. The middle tax rate was removed, and the lowest was reduced. These changes aimed to help people with middle incomes and families.
Leading the EU in 2002
Rasmussen was the leader of the European Union for six months in 2002. He showed that he strongly supported the EU. He even publicly apologized for Denmark's cooperation policy during World War II. This was the first official apology from Denmark.
The War in Iraq
As Prime Minister, Rasmussen strongly supported the 2003 Iraq War. Many people in Denmark and in parliament were against it. Denmark was one of only five countries to take part in the actual invasion. Danish troops later joined the international force in Iraq. About 550 Danish soldiers were stationed there from 2004 to 2007.
In 2004, Rasmussen's government faced questions about the information they had on Iraq's weapons. The government had to release secret reports. Rasmussen managed to avoid the same level of criticism that other leaders faced. This was because Denmark's decision to send troops was based on Iraq not cooperating with UN inspectors, not just on claims of weapons.
In March 2003, Rasmussen stated that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. He said, "Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. This is not something we think. We know it."
Same-Sex Marriage
In Denmark, civil unions for same-sex couples became legal in 1989. In 2004, Rasmussen said he believed that same-sex couples should be able to marry in religious ceremonies. However, he also said that religious groups should decide this for themselves.
The 2005 Election
Rasmussen called an election for February 2005. His government was criticized for its slow response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. However, most people supported the government's actions.
His party lost some seats in the election, but they were still able to form a government. Rasmussen received the most "personal votes" of any politician in the Danish parliament.
Muhammad Cartoons Controversy
A big challenge for Rasmussen was a controversy over cartoons printed in a Danish newspaper in 2005. The newspaper Jyllands-Posten printed 12 cartoons showing different images of Muhammad. Some Muslims found these cartoons very offensive. Rasmussen refused a request from 11 ambassadors to discuss the issue. He called it Denmark's worst international crisis since World War II. He later said he was "deeply distressed" that the cartoons were seen as an insult to Islam.
Local Government Changes
One of Rasmussen's main projects was changing how local governments worked. He wanted to combine smaller local councils and get rid of the old counties. Public services like healthcare were put into five new regions. The number of local councils was reduced from 271 to 98. These changes became official in 2007.
2007 Election and Resignation
In October 2007, Rasmussen called another general election. His center-right group won enough seats to keep their majority. Rasmussen became the longest-serving Liberal Prime Minister of Denmark.
After this election, there were rumors that Rasmussen might get a big international job. He denied these rumors until just before it was announced that he would become the Secretary General of NATO.
Rasmussen supported Israel's right to defend itself during the conflict in Gaza. He said that Hamas broke the truce and started the conflict. He believed no country should just accept being attacked.
He resigned as Prime Minister of Denmark on 5 April 2009, to take on his new role at NATO.
NATO Secretary General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen became the 12th NATO Secretary General on 1 August 2009. He took over from Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. The announcement was made in April 2009. At first, Turkey was against Rasmussen's appointment. This was partly because of how he handled the Muhammad cartoons controversy. Turkey also had concerns about a TV channel called Roj TV. Eventually, Turkey agreed to his appointment.
His first trip as Secretary General was to Afghanistan. He met with President Hamid Karzai and other Afghan leaders. They discussed the upcoming presidential elections.
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In January 2010, Rasmussen attended a conference in London about Afghanistan. Leaders from around the world met to plan for Afghanistan's future.
In April 2011, during the 2011 Libyan civil war, NATO took command of a mission to protect civilians. Rasmussen said NATO was not there to arm rebels. He stated, "We are in Libya to protect civilians against attacks." By October 2011, the NATO mission was close to ending. The leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was killed.
Rasmussen's term as Secretary General was extended by one year in 2012. It ended on 31 July 2014.
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In February 2013, Rasmussen visited Ireland. He said that NATO has an "open-door policy" for new members. This means European countries can join if they meet the requirements and can help with security.
In December 2013, Rasmussen spoke at a meeting of the European Council. He was against plans to create a European Air Force. He believed NATO was doing a good job with European defense and wanted to keep things as they were.
In March 2014, Jens Stoltenberg was chosen to be Rasmussen's successor. He took office on 1 October 2014.
In April 2014, Rasmussen wrote an article warning NATO allies to invest in their armed forces. He said that "Russia's illegal aggression against Ukraine" was clear. Russia's Foreign Ministry criticized Rasmussen for his comments.
He also claimed that Russia was working with environmental groups to keep Europe dependent on Russian gas. He did not provide evidence for this claim.
Organizations
Rasmussen Global
After leaving NATO in October 2014, Rasmussen started his own political advice company, Rasmussen Global. This company helps with issues like security, relations between Europe and North America, and the European Union. In 2016, he wrote a book called 'The Will to Lead'. In it, he shared his view that the USA should be a global leader again.
In 2016, Rasmussen became an advisor to the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko. He also created the "Friends of Ukraine" group. This group brings together politicians and diplomats to support Ukraine and its reforms.
In 2020, he joined the global bank Citi as a senior advisor. His main focus is on the Nordic region.
In 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Rasmussen to lead a group on security guarantees for Ukraine. This group's work led to the Kyiv Security Compact. This plan became the basis for a security declaration signed by NATO allies in 2023.
Alliance of Democracies Foundation
In 2017, Rasmussen founded the Alliance of Democracies Foundation. This is a non-profit group that works to promote democracy and free markets worldwide.
One of its main events is the Copenhagen Democracy Summit. This is an annual conference that brings together political and business leaders. Speakers have included Joe Biden, Tony Blair, and John Kerry.
The Foundation also runs the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity. This group works to protect the fairness of democratic elections. Rasmussen co-founded this commission with Michael Chertoff and Joe Biden.
Honours and decorations
Commander of the Order of Dannebrog (Denmark, 2001)
Commander 1st Class of the Order of Dannebrog (Denmark, 2002)
Grand Cross of the Order of Dannebrog (Denmark, 2009)
Medal of Merit in Gold (Denmark, 2002)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross (Brazil, 2009)
Knight 1st class of the Order of the Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria, 2014)- St. George Medal, 1st Class (Bulgaria, 2014)
Knight of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (Estonia, 2009)
Grand cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Germany, 2002)
Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands, 2014)
Grand Cross of the Order of Ruben Darío (Nicaragua, 2003)- Grand Cross of the Order of Pedro Joaquín Chamorro (Nicaragua)
Grand Officer of the Order of the Three Stars (Latvia, 2004)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas (Lithuania, 2004)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown (Luxembourg, 2003)
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (Poland, 2003)
Grand cross of the Order of Merit (Portugal, 1992)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania (Romania, 2004)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (Sweden, 2007)
Order of Liberty (Ukraine, 2014)
Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (United Kingdom, 2015)- Doctor Honoris Causa title by the University of Bucharest (2013)
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See Also
In Spanish: Anders Fogh Rasmussen para niños
- Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen I
- Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen II
- Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen III
- List of prime ministers of Denmark
- Politics of Denmark
