Poul Nyrup Rasmussen facts for kids
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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, 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 15 June 1943) is a Danish politician who is now retired. He served as the Prime Minister of Denmark from 1993 to 2001. He was also the leader of the Social Democrats party in Denmark from 1992 to 2002.
Later, he became the President of the Party of European Socialists (PES) from 2004 to 2011. He was also a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009. Rasmussen is part of the Club of Madrid, a group of former democratic leaders. In 2007, he wrote a book called I grådighedens tid (In a Time of Greed). This book talks about the role of certain investment funds in the world economy.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen was born on 15 June 1943 in Esbjerg, Denmark. His parents were Oluf and Vera Eline Nyrup Rasmussen. He grew up in a working-class family.
He went to the University of Copenhagen. In 1971, he earned a master's degree in Economics. While studying, he was active in a student group called Frit Forum. This group was linked to the Social Democratic party. He met many future political friends there. To pay for his studies, he worked various jobs, like counting traffic and delivering things part-time.
Political Journey
Member of Parliament: 1987–1993
Rasmussen was first elected to the Folketing in 1987. The Folketing is Denmark's parliament. He represented Western Jutland. He became the Deputy Chairman of the Social Democrats party. At that time, Svend Auken was the chairman.
Rasmussen worked with Mogens Lykketoft to suggest new ideas for the Social Democrats. From 1988 to 1992, he 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 good choice for Prime Minister.
In 1992, Rasmussen took over from Svend Auken as the leader of the Social Democrats. Auken had been the leader for a long time. He stepped down after not being able to form a government after the 1990 election. Many in the party felt Auken's ideas were too far to the left. This made it hard to work with other parties.
Prime Minister of Denmark: 1993–2001
Rasmussen became Prime Minister in early 1993. This happened after the previous Prime Minister, Poul Schlüter, resigned. Schlüter resigned because he had not given correct information to the Folketing about a political issue.
Rasmussen formed a government with several parties. These included the Social Democrats, Social Liberals, Centre Democrats, and Christian Democrats. His first government focused on boosting the economy. They used a plan called the "kick-start" in 1993–94.
After the 1994 election, the Christian Democrats left the government. The Centre Democrats also left in late 1996. Key ministers in his government included Marianne Jelved (Economy and Deputy Prime Minister), Mogens Lykketoft (Finance Minister), and Niels Helveg Petersen (Foreign Minister).
The government kept its majority in parliament by a small margin in the 1998 election. After this election, Prime Minister Rasmussen said their main goal was to get a "yes" vote. This vote was for Denmark to approve the Amsterdam Treaty of the European Union. In the end, 55% of Danes voted "yes" in the referendum.
Rasmussen's government also held a vote in 2000. This vote was about Denmark joining the euro currency. However, 53.2% of voters said no to joining the euro. In 1998, the government introduced a plan called the Whitsun Packet. This plan increased taxes to limit private spending. This plan was not very popular with people. This might have played a part in the Social Democrats losing the 2001 election.
Rasmussen called an early election in 2001. He said this would give the next prime minister time to get ready for Denmark's turn to lead the European Union in 2002. After the 11 September attacks, Rasmussen's popularity grew. However, this lead decreased as the 2001 election got closer.
He ran against Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the leader of the Liberal party. The election campaign mainly focused on immigration and refugees. This helped the Danish People's Party, which was against more immigration. Before 11 September, about half of Danes wanted stricter immigration rules. After the attacks, two out of three Danes supported them.
Other important topics in the campaign were welfare and health care. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen wanted to create a stronger economy. This would help Denmark deal with economic problems. There was not much debate about the European Union. This was because both leaders had similar views on it.
The Social Democrats lost the 2001 election to Anders Fogh Rasmussen's party. This meant they were no longer the largest party in the Folketing. They had held this position since the 1924 election. On election night, Rasmussen said he would stay on as party leader. He famously said, "I will not run away with my tail between my legs." He wanted to bring "renewal" to the Social Democrats. He urged that more moderate party members be given leadership roles. However, some groups in the party did not agree with his plans. They questioned his leadership. In late 2002, he announced he would step down as chairman.
European Parliament: 2004–2009
In 2004, Rasmussen became a MEP. He won a record number of votes from Denmark in the European Parliament elections. He worked on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.
One important issue Rasmussen worked on was regulating private investment funds. He pushed for more rules in this area. He started this work long before the 2008 financial crisis. In September 2008, the European Parliament approved his report. This report suggested rules for all involved and more openness.
Rasmussen also criticized the European Commission's response to the economic crisis. In March 2009, he wrote that a new plan was needed. He said this would prevent 25 million people from losing their jobs by 2010. He also said Europe needed to do more for countries in Central and Eastern Europe. He believed it was important to prevent financial problems there.
Leading European Socialists: 2004–2011
In 2004, Rasmussen was elected President of the PES. He won against Giuliano Amato. 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 made sure the party stayed united. He led party meetings and represented the party often.
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 to new members. He launched a network called 'PES Activists'. He also oversaw a process to create the party's plan for the 2009 European election.
Rasmussen's influence helped the PES become more politically active. This can be seen in their main idea, New Social Europe. This idea was based on a report written by Rasmussen and Jacques Delors. Delors was a former President of the European Commission. The goal was to create a "fairer, more inclusive, and more dynamic society." Today, Rasmussen is on the advisory board of OMFIF. He often attends meetings about the financial system.
Personal Life
In 1994, Rasmussen married Lone Dybkjær. She was also a member of the Folketing and a former MEP. She belonged to the Det Radikale Venstre. Rasmussen enjoyed spending holidays with his wife at their second home. He also liked swimming, walking, and thinking with friends. He enjoys listening to music.
He had a daughter named Signe. His wife, Lone, passed away in 2020.
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen is not related to the two people who became Prime Minister after him. These were Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Lars Løkke Rasmussen. They were both from the Venstre party.
Timeline
See also
In Spanish: Poul Nyrup Rasmussen para niños
