Niels Helveg Petersen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Niels Helveg Petersen
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Petersen in 2008
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 25 January 1993 – 21 December 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Poul Nyrup Rasmussen |
| Preceded by | Uffe Ellemann-Jensen |
| Succeeded by | Mogens Lykketoft |
| Minister for Economic Affairs | |
| In office 3 June 1988 – 18 December 1990 |
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| Prime Minister | Poul Schlüter |
| Preceded by | Knud Enggaard |
| Succeeded by | Anders Fogh Rasmussen |
| Leader of Danish Social Liberal Party | |
| In office 1978–1990 |
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| Preceded by | Svend Haugaard |
| Succeeded by | Marianne Jelved |
| Member of Parliament for Funen |
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| In office 13 November 2007 – 15 September 2011 |
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| Member of Parliament for Fyns Amtskreds |
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| In office 21 September 1994 – 13 November 2007 |
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| Member of Parliament for Fyns Amtskreds |
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| In office 15 February 1977 – 1 February 1993 |
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| Member of Parliament for Frederiksborg Amtskreds |
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| In office 22 November 1966 – 30 September 1974 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 January 1939 Odense, Denmark |
| Died | 3 June 2017 (aged 78) Løkkeby, Denmark |
| Cause of death | Esophageal Cancer |
| Political party | Social Liberal |
| Spouse |
Kirsten Lee
(m. 1984) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Copenhagen Stanford University |
| Signature |  |
Niels Lolk Helveg Petersen (born January 17, 1939 – died June 3, 2017) was an important Danish politician. He served as Denmark's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 2000. Before that, he was the Minister for Economic Affairs from 1988 to 1990. He was also a member of the Danish Parliament, called the Folketing, for many years. He belonged to the Danish Social Liberal Party.
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Growing Up and Education
Niels Helveg Petersen was born in Odense, Denmark, in 1939. His parents were also well-known politicians. His father, Kristen Helveg Petersen, was a cabinet minister. His mother, Lilly Helveg Petersen, was a former Mayor of Copenhagen.
Niels studied law at the University of Copenhagen. He graduated in 1965 with a law degree. He also spent a year studying government in the United States. This was at Stanford University from 1961 to 1962. During his time in Copenhagen, he was active in his party's youth group. He even helped edit their newspaper called 'Liberté'.
A Long Career in Politics
Niels Helveg Petersen had a long and active political career. He was a member of the Danish Parliament, the Folketing, for many years.
Member of Parliament: 1966–2011
Niels Helveg Petersen first ran for parliament in 1964. He was elected for the first time in 1966. In 1974, he left Denmark to work for the European Commission. This is an important part of the European Union.
He returned to Danish politics in 1977. He was elected to parliament again, this time representing the Funen area. In 1978, he became the leader of the Danish Social Liberal Party. He held this role until 1990.
During the 1980s, he supported the government's economic plans. But he also disagreed with them on other issues, like security. His party often helped create new laws by working with different groups in parliament. This was sometimes called 'footnote politics'. Because he could help decide which laws passed, some people called him a 'king maker'.
In 1988, his party joined the government. Niels Helveg Petersen announced in 2008 that he would not run for election again. He left parliament in September 2011.
Minister for Economic Affairs: 1988–1990
From 1988 to 1990, Niels Helveg Petersen was the Minister for Economic Affairs. He was part of the government led by Prime Minister Poul Schlüter. His party left the government in 1990 after a difficult election. After this, he also stepped down as party leader.
Minister of Foreign Affairs: 1993–2000
Niels Helveg Petersen became the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1993. He held this important job until 2000. He served under Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.
In 1992, Danish people voted against the Treaty of Maastricht. This treaty was important for the European Union. After another vote in 1993, Denmark accepted the treaty. But Denmark got some special agreements, called 'opt-outs'. These allowed Denmark to choose not to join certain EU policies.
As the new Foreign Minister, Niels Helveg Petersen had to work with these opt-outs. He had always supported Denmark being more involved internationally. He left the role of Foreign Minister in 2000. The official reason was that he could no longer agree with the opt-outs.
He also helped create the Council of the Baltic Sea States. In 1993, this group started the EuroFaculty. This program helped universities in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Niels Helveg Petersen was a strong supporter of this project.
Family Life
Niels Helveg Petersen was married to Kirsten Lee. She was also a former member of the Danish Parliament for the Social Liberal Party.
His son, Morten Helveg Petersen, was also a member of parliament. He served from 1998 to 2009. Another son, Rasmus Helveg Petersen, was a member of parliament from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2019. Rasmus also served as a cabinet minister.
Niels Helveg Petersen passed away in 2017 at the age of 78.
See also
- Thulegate
