Lene Espersen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lene Espersen
Espersen in 2010
Deputy Prime Minister of Denmark
In office 10 September 2008 – 13 January 2011
Prime Minister	Anders Fogh Rasmussen Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Preceded by	Bendt Bendtsen
Succeeded by	Lars Barfoed
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 23 February 2010 – 3 October 2011
Prime Minister	Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Preceded by	Per Stig Møller
Succeeded by	Villy Søvndal
Minister of Economic and Business Affairs
In office 10 September 2008 – 23 February 2010
Prime Minister	Anders Fogh Rasmussen Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Preceded by	Bendt Bendtsen
Succeeded by	Brian Mikkelsen
Leader of the Conservative People's Party
In office 9 September 2008 – 13 January 2011
Preceded by	Bendt Bendtsen
Succeeded by	Lars Barfoed
Minister of Justice
In office 27 November 2001 – 10 September 2008
Prime Minister	Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Preceded by	Frank Jensen
Succeeded by	Brian Mikkelsen
Personal details
Born	(1965-09-26) 26 September 1965 (age 59) Hirtshals, Denmark
Political party	Conservative People's Party
Spouse	Danny Feltmann
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Aarhus

Lene Espersen (born 26 September 1965) is a former Danish politician. She was a leader of the Conservative People's Party. She also served as a Minister of Justice. Today, she is the CEO of the Danish Association of Architectural Firms. From 2016 to 2020, she was the chairman of the board at Aalborg University.

Early Life and Education

Lene Espersen grew up in Hirtshals, a town in northern Jutland, Denmark. Her father was a fisherman and her mother was a book-keeper. She has a younger sister.

Lene attended Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific in Canada. She later became the first person in her family to graduate from university.

Political Career Highlights

Lene Espersen was the first person in her family to join a political party. She became a member of the Folketinget, which is the Danish Parliament, in 1994.

Key Government Roles

Espersen held several important roles in the Danish government:

• She was the Minister of Justice from November 2001 to September 2008. This role involves overseeing the country's legal system.
• She served as the Minister of Economic and Business Affairs from September 2008 to February 2010. In this job, she focused on Denmark's economy and businesses.
• From February 2010 to October 2011, Espersen was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was the first woman in Denmark to hold this position. At that time, she was also the only woman serving as a foreign minister in the European Union.

Leading the Conservative People's Party

Lene Espersen was the leader of the Conservative People's Party. She was also the Deputy Prime Minister of Denmark from September 2008 to January 2011.

On January 13, 2011, she announced that she would step down as the leader of the Conservative People's Party. The next day, Lars Barfoed took over as the party's new leader.

Other Important Activities

After her time in government, Lene Espersen continued to be involved in various organizations:

• She is a member of the European Group for the Trilateral Commission. This group brings together leaders from North America, Europe, and Asia to discuss global issues.
• Since 2014, she has been the Chair of the Baltic Development Forum. This organization works to promote growth and cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.
• From 2008 to 2010, she was an Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This bank helps countries in Europe and Asia develop their economies.