Anders Samuelsen

Anders Samuelsen
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Assumed office
28 November 2016
Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Preceded by Kristian Jensen
President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
In office
15 November 2017 – 18 May 2018
Preceded by Lubomír Zaorálek
Succeeded by Marija Pejčinović Burić
Personal details
Born (1967-08-01) 1 August 1967
Horsens, Denmark
Political party Liberal Alliance
Alma mater Aarhus University

Anders Samuelsen (born 1 August 1967 in Horsens) is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and a Danish politician, member of the Folketing with the Liberal Alliance.

Education and early career

  • 1993: Master's degree in political science from Aarhus University
  • Employed by Ministry of Finance
  • 1994-1998: Consultant and section manager at the College for the Deaf, Castberggård
  • 1998-2004: Loose association with same college

Political career

  • 1998-2004: Member of the Folketing
  • Since 2003: President of Civil Protection Association

Member of the European Parliament, 2004–2007

From 2004 until 2007, Samuelsen was a Member of the European Parliament sitting on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets. As member of the European Parliament, he was a substitute for the Committee on Foreign Affairs, a member of the Delegation for relations with Iran and a substitute for the Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China.

Career in Danish politics

Samuelsen is a former member of Det Radikale Venstre, and was a Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. He left this party on 7 May 2007,[1] beceme one of the three founding members of the Liberal Alliance and was elected to the Danish parliament for Liberal Alliance in the 2007 election.

By late 2016, Samuelsen threatened to bring down the government of Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen because of disagreements over tax cuts, immigration and welfare policies. In September 2016, he announced that his party was ready to file a motion of no confidence if Rasmussen failed to cut the top rate of income tax by 5 percentage points in the 2017 budget.[2] In response, Rasmussen reshuffled his cabinet to have the Liberal Alliance join the government and take the leadership of six ministries.[3]

Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2016–present

Anders Samuelsen and Volodymyr Groysman in Kiev, 2018

Under Samuelsen's leadership, the government won parliamentary approval in January 2017 to deploy up to 60 special forces to fight Islamic State in Syria as part of the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve.[4] The government later committed to sending an additional 55 soldiers to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan; the decision was made to boost security efforts after a car bomber attacked a Danish convoy in September 2017.[5]

Other activities

Honours

See also: European Parliament election, 2004 (Denmark)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Liberal Alliance". Archived from the original on October 19, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
  2. ↑ Annabella Pultz Nielsen (September 19, 2016), Denmark edges closer to snap election as parties feud over tax cuts Reuters.
  3. ↑ Annabella Pultz Nielsen (November 28, 2016), Danish PM names new coalition ministers, reducing risk of snap poll Reuters.
  4. ↑ Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen (October 2, 2017), Denmark says deploying special forces to Syria against Islamic State Reuters.
  5. ↑ Julie Astrid Thomsen (October 2, 2017), Denmark to send 55 soldiers to Kabul after deadly attack on convoy Reuters.
  6. ↑ Board of Governors Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
Political offices
Preceded by
Kristian Jensen		 Minister for Foreign Affairs
2016–present		 Incumbent
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