Poul Nyrup Rasmussen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
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Rasmussen in 2004
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| Prime Minister of Denmark | |
| In office 25 January 1993 – 27 November 2001 |
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| Monarch | Margrethe II |
| Preceded by | Poul Schlüter |
| Succeeded by | Anders Fogh Rasmussen |
| President of the European Socialists | |
| In office 24 July 2004 – 24 November 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Robin Cook |
| Succeeded by | Sergei Stanishev |
| Leader of the Social Democrats | |
| In office 3 September 1992 – 14 December 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Svend Auken |
| Succeeded by | Mogens Lykketoft |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 3 September 2004 – 9 October 2009 |
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| Constituency | Denmark |
| Member of the Folketing | |
| In office 10 May 1988 – 12 September 2004 |
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| Constituency | Ringkøbing County |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 June 1943 Esbjerg, German-occupied Denmark |
| Political party | Social Democrats |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Signe |
| Parents | Oluf Nyrup Rasmussen Vera Eline Nyrup Rasmussen |
| Alma mater | University of Copenhagen |
Poul Oluf Nyrup Rasmussen (born June 15, 1943) is a Danish politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Denmark from 1993 to 2001. He was also the head of a big European political group called the Party of European Socialists (PES) from 2004 to 2011. Before that, he led Denmark's Social Democratic party from 1992 to 2002. He also worked as a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009.
Rasmussen is part of the Club of Madrid, a group of former leaders. In 2007, he wrote a book called I grådighedens tid (In a Time of Greed). This book criticized how certain investment funds work in the world economy.
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Early Life and Education
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen was born in 1943 in Esbjerg, Denmark. His parents were Oluf and Vera Nyrup Rasmussen. He came from a working-class family.
He studied at the University of Copenhagen. In 1971, he earned a master's degree in Economics. While studying, he was active in a student union called Frit Forum. There, he met people who would become his political friends. He worked several jobs to pay for his studies.
Political Career
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen was first elected to the Folketing (the Danish Parliament) in 1987. He represented Western Jutland. He quickly became the Deputy Chairman of the Social Democrats. At that time, Svend Auken was the chairman.
From 1988 to 1992, Rasmussen led the Committee on Business and Trade. He also spoke for the party on business matters. After the 1990 election, many saw him as a strong candidate for Prime Minister.
In 1992, Rasmussen took over as leader of the Social Democrats. This happened after Svend Auken could not form a government. Many in the party felt Auken's ideas were too far left. This made it hard to work with other parties.
Serving as Prime Minister of Denmark
Rasmussen became Prime Minister in early 1993. The previous Prime Minister, Poul Schlüter, resigned. This was after he was found to have given wrong information to Parliament.
Rasmussen formed a government with several parties. These included the Social Democrats and Social Liberals. His government focused on helping the economy grow. They used a plan called the "kick-start" in 1993–94.
After the 1994 election, some parties left the government. But the main ministers stayed. These included Marianne Jelved for Economy and Mogens Lykketoft for Finance. Niels Helveg Petersen was the Foreign Minister.
The government kept its majority in the 1998 election. After this, Prime Minister Rasmussen focused on a vote about the Amsterdam Treaty. This was an agreement between countries in the European Union. Danes voted "yes" to this treaty.
Later, in 2000, his government held another vote. This was about Denmark joining the euro currency. However, most Danes voted "no" to joining the euro.
In 1998, the government introduced a plan called the Whitsun Packet. This plan increased taxes to limit how much people spent. This was not very popular. It might have played a part in the Social Democrats losing the 2001 election.
Rasmussen called an early election in 2001. He wanted the next prime minister to have time to prepare for Denmark's turn to lead the European Union. He was running against Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the leader of the Liberal party.
The election focused on immigration and refugees. This helped the anti-immigration Danish People's Party. Many Danes wanted stricter rules for immigration. Other topics were welfare and health care.
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen's party lost the election in 2001. The Social Democrats lost their spot as the largest party in Parliament. They had held this position since 1924. On election night, Rasmussen said he would stay as party leader. He wanted to bring new ideas to the Social Democrats. However, he stepped down as chairman in late 2002.
Working in the European Parliament
In 2004, Rasmussen became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He received a record number of votes from Denmark. He worked on committees for Foreign Affairs and Economic and Monetary Affairs.
A big issue for Rasmussen in the European Parliament was how private investment funds were regulated. He pushed for stronger rules in this area. He wanted more transparency and accountability. His ideas were approved by the European Parliament in 2008.
Rasmussen also criticized the European Commission's response to economic problems. He said Europe needed a new plan to prevent job losses. He also stressed the need to help countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
Leading the Party of European Socialists
In 2004, Rasmussen was elected President of the Party of European Socialists (PES). He took over from Robin Cook. He was re-elected in 2006. In this role, he helped guide the party's political ideas. He also represented the party regularly.
As PES president, he also led the Global Progressive Forum. He was part of the Transatlantic Dialogue committee. This group helps progressives from the United States and Europe work together. Rasmussen helped make the PES more open. He launched a network called 'PES Activists'. He also created a way for people to help create the party's plan for the 2009 European election.
Rasmussen helped shape the PES's main political idea, "New Social Europe." This idea aimed to create a "fairer, more inclusive, and more dynamic society." He is now on the advisory board of OMFIF. There, he discusses financial and money systems.
Personal Life
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen was married to Lone Dybkjær. She was also a politician and a member of Parliament. They were married from 1994 until her death in 2020. He enjoyed spending holidays with his wife at their second home. He also likes swimming, walking, and talking with friends. He enjoys listening to music too.
He is not related to the two prime ministers who came after him. Their names were Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
Timeline
See also
In Spanish: Poul Nyrup Rasmussen para niños
