Morten Helveg Petersen

Morten Helveg Petersen
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
Assumed office
1 July 2014
Constituency Denmark
Personal details
Born (1966-09-14) 14 September 1966
Copenhagen, Denmark
Political party  Danish
Danish Social Liberal Party
 EU
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Spouse(s)
  • Paula Larrain (m. 1994; div. 1997)
  • Connie Dahl Løkkegaard (m. 2001)
Children 2
Alma mater University of Copenhagen

Morten Helveg Petersen (born 14 September 1966) is a Danish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Denmark. He is a member of the Danish Social Liberal Party, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. He was elected to the European Parliament in 2014 and served as member of the Folketing 1998–2009.

Son of former Danish foreign minister Niels Helveg Petersen and brother of former minister Rasmus Helveg Petersen, Morten Helveg Petersen grew up in Denmark and in Brussels where he attended the European School 1974–77. His paternal grandparents were former minister Kristen Helveg Petersen and former mayor of Copenhagen Lilly Helveg Petersen. He got a Master of Science degree in economics from the University of Copenhagen in 1992.[1]

After finishing his studies, he worked for the European Commission 1992–1993 and for the Confederation of Danish Industries1993–1998.[2]

He then entered politics and served as a member of the Folketing from Hvidovre and later Brøndby electoral district 1999 where he obtained positions as the Social Liberal Party's spokesperson on finance, defence and IT. In 2007, he lost a fight to become deputy leader of the party's parliamentarian group to Morten Østergaard.[1]

In 2009 he left politics and became CEO of Foreningen af Danske Interaktive Medier and after a company fusion became vice-CEO of Danske Medier in 2011.[1]

In September 2013, the Danish Social Liberal Party nominated him as their top candidate in the 2014 European Parliament election. Petersen won a seat in the parliament after the party received 6,7% of the votes in election; thus returning to the parliament with one mandate.[1]

Petersen is considered to belong to the right flank of the party and was opposed to the party's decision to be part of the Cabinet of Helle Thorning-Schmidt.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 PORTRÆT: En Helveg vil bringe radikale i EU igen Ritzau, 25 May 2014. Fyens.dk. Retrieved 28 May 2014
  2. ↑ Morten Helveg Petersen Den Store Danske. Retrieved 28 May 2014

Books

  • Midt i maskinrummet (1999)
  • Enter – et personligt bud på Danmarks IT-fremtid (2001)
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