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Anders Fogh Rasmussen is no longer Prime Minister of Denmark. He is to be Secretary General of NATO, and he had been replaced by Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
|chancellor =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Anders Fogh Rasmussen
|pm =Lars Løkke Rasmussen
|pm-raw =
|pm-raw =
|area =16,639 sq mi
|area =16,639 sq mi
===Principal Government Officials===
===Principal Government Officials===
*Monarch--Queen Margrethe II
*Monarch--Queen Margrethe II
*Prime Minister--Anders Fogh Rasmussen
*Prime Minister--Lars Løkke Rasmussen
===Political Conditions===
===Political Conditions===
Parliamentary elections held February 8, 2005 returned the coalition to government for another term of up to four years. The coalition consists of the Liberal Party ("Venstre") and the Konservative Party, holding 71 of the 179 seats in the Folketing, and has the parliamentary support of the Danish People's Party, holding another 24 seats. The opposition Social Democrats hold 47 seats and the Social Liberals hold 16 seats. Addressing the costs and benefits of the Denmark's comprehensive social welfare system, restraining taxes, and immigration are among the key issues on the current domestic political agenda.
Parliamentary elections held February 8, 2005 returned the coalition to government for another term of up to four years. The coalition consists of the Liberal Party ("Venstre") and the Konservative Party, holding 71 of the 179 seats in the Folketing, and has the parliamentary support of the Danish People's Party, holding another 24 seats. The opposition Social Democrats hold 47 seats and the Social Liberals hold 16 seats. Addressing the costs and benefits of the Denmark's comprehensive social welfare system, restraining taxes, and immigration are among the key issues on the current domestic political agenda.
On October 24, 2007 prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced an early election to be held on November 13, 2007. Between the 2005 elecion and the 2007 a new party made by members of parliament from different parties was created. This party had the name New Alliance and it's leader was Nasser Khader, an immigrant from Syria. In the early days of this new party polls showed massive support for it, however at the election the party earned far less seats in parliament than expected from these early polls. The Liberal and Konservative parties together earned 64 seats, and their supporting party, the Danish People's Party earned 25 seats, so combined these three parties were just one seat short of ensuring the majority. After the election Edmund Joensen elected on the Faroe Islands pledged his support to the the government of Denmark giving them exactly the 90 seats required for a majority, and thus the new alliance didn't have the determining seats they had hoped for, but never the less they pledged their support to Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
In late 2008 rumours began that prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen aspired for an unspecified big international post. Amongst the mentioned possibilities were the Presidency of the European Union and the Secretary General of NATO, but the Presidency of the European Union depended on the ratification of the Lissabon Treaty, which needed to be ratified by all EU members, wasn't ratified by Ireland, so this post was no longer in question. The rumours persisted throughout the spring of 2009, but Anders Fogh Rasmussen attempted to deny the rumours by claiming not to be a candidate for anything. On April 4, 2009 Anders Fogh Rasmussen finally did tender his candidacy to become the next Secretary General of NATO, but he was met with reluctance from Turkey, seemingly because of the Muhammad cartoons controversy. This reluctance was overcome and on April 5, 2009 during the NATO summit in Strassbourg, Anders Fogh Rasmussen was appointed the Secretary General of NATO.
After having been appointed Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen resigned as Prime Minister of Denmark and member of the Danish Parliament. He was then replaced by the vice president of the Liberal Party, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who became the new Prime Minister of Denmark. Though Denmark has had three consecutive prime ministers by the name of Rasmussen, neither of them is related, as the name Rasmussen is fairly common in Denmark.
Denmark's role in the European Union (EU) remains an important political issue. Denmark emerged from two referenda (June 2, 1992 and May 18, 1993) on the Maastricht Treaty on the European Union with four exemptions (or "opt-outs"): common defense, common currency, EU citizenship, and certain aspects of legal cooperation, including law enforcement. The Amsterdam Treaty was approved in a referendum May 28, 1998, by a 55% majority. Still, the electorate's fear of losing national identity in an integrated Europe and lack of confidence in long-term stability of European economies run deep. These concerns were at the forefront of the September 28, 2000 referendum on Denmark's participation in the third phase of the Economic and Monetary Union, particularly the common currency, the euro; more than 53% voted "no," and Denmark retained its "krone" currency unit. The government and the pro-EU opposition have agreed, and Denmark has received an EU green light, to maintain the four opt-outs throughout the process of approving and ratifying a new EU constitutional treaty, with the ambition to eliminate all opt-outs in the longer term. The government intended to put Danish approval of the new [[EU Constitution|EU constitution]] to the public in a referendum, but that process has been put on hold until further discussion of the constitution has taken place in the European Council.
Denmark's role in the European Union (EU) remains an important political issue. Denmark emerged from two referenda (June 2, 1992 and May 18, 1993) on the Maastricht Treaty on the European Union with four exemptions (or "opt-outs"): common defense, common currency, EU citizenship, and certain aspects of legal cooperation, including law enforcement. The Amsterdam Treaty was approved in a referendum May 28, 1998, by a 55% majority. Still, the electorate's fear of losing national identity in an integrated Europe and lack of confidence in long-term stability of European economies run deep. These concerns were at the forefront of the September 28, 2000 referendum on Denmark's participation in the third phase of the Economic and Monetary Union, particularly the common currency, the euro; more than 53% voted "no," and Denmark retained its "krone" currency unit. The government and the pro-EU opposition have agreed, and Denmark has received an EU green light, to maintain the four opt-outs throughout the process of approving and ratifying a new EU constitutional treaty, with the ambition to eliminate all opt-outs in the longer term. The government intended to put Danish approval of the new [[EU Constitution|EU constitution]] to the public in a referendum, but that process has been put on hold until further discussion of the constitution has taken place in the European Council.