Which position did Anker Jørgensen hold in Jul 1978?
Anker Jørgensen Anker Henrik Jørgensen ( 13 July 1922 – 20 March 2016 ) was a Danish politician who served at various times as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Denmark . Between 1972 and 1982 he led five cabinets as Prime Minister . Jørgensen was President of the Nordic Council in 1986 and 1991 . He led or represented the Social Democratic Party for well over 30 years . His legacy is ambivalent . Politically , he is considered by many right wing followers to have been largely unsuccessful , having failed to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis of the 1970s and 1980s . Nonetheless , he is generally respected and even loved throughout Denmark for his personal integrity and down-to-earth personality , often exemplified by his refusal to move into the official Prime Minister residence Marienborg , preferring to stay with his wife in their small apartment in a working class area of Copenhagen . He has been described as not having the image of a strong or visionary leader , but through his down-to-earth and earnest demeanor , he managed to maintain wide support for the Danish welfare state . In 1990 , he was chosen to travel to Iraq to negotiate the release of a group of Danish hostages with Saddam Hussein . Background . Anker Henrik Jørgensen was born on 13 July 1922 to Johannes Albert Jørgensen and Maria Jørgensen , who both died of tuberculosis while he was a child . He was brought up by close members of his family . He studied at the , but left after the 7th grade to work at a warehouse . Through his job as a warehouse worker he became active in the Special Workers Union , from January 2005 merged into Fagligt Fælles Forbund , and in the Social Democratic party . He served his conscription period in 1943 , at the Guard Hussar Regiment Mounted Squadron in Næstved . He was part of the fighting when the barracks was attacked by the Germans during Operation Safari . After being repatriated , Anker Jørgensen then joined the resistance in Copenhagen . Political career . Early politics . He began his political career early , and in 1950 he became a member of a trade union . He led the Danish General Workers Union between 1968 and 1972 . Whilst he was chairman of the union , he was elected to the Parliament of Denmark for the first of many times in 1964 . As a representative of unskilled workers , a rivalry developed with the leadership of the skilled workers unions , such as the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions ( LO ) , and its leader , who referred to Jørgensen as a complete idiot . As a member of parliament he was responsible for labor related issues . He located himself on the left wing of the Social Democratic party , speaking out for unskilled workers and the jobless , and criticized the leadership of Parliamentary group leader Per Hækkerup . He also gained attention for his vocal critique of American engagement in Vietnam . Before the 1972 referendum about whether Denmark should join the European Economic Community ( ECC ) , he went against the stated interest of his own labor union , arguing for a yes . Prime Minister . A day after the EEC referendum , Jørgensen succeeded Jens Otto Krag as Prime Minister of Denmark . He held this position for 14 months until the 1973 election when he was succeeded by liberal Poul Hartling . After just over a year in opposition , he returned as prime minister with a Social Democratic minority government . In 1978 , he expanded the government by including the Liberals in a grand coalition government in order to deal with economic issues . This coalition lasted until 23 October 1979 , and for a brief period of two months in 1978 he concurrently held the position of foreign minister . During this time , Jørgensen presided over the electoral age referendum . For the rest of his period in office , he led again led a Social Democrat minority government . Unable to muster support for tax increases and spending cuts , he stepped down as prime minister without calling an election on 10 September 1982 , ceding the premiership to the Conservative leader Poul Schlüter . He did , however , remain as leader of the Social Democrats until his resignation in 1987 when he was succeeded by Svend Auken . He remained as a member of parliament until 1994 . Throughout his time in office , he showed strong leadership - guiding Denmark into the EEC and further developing Denmark’s social and welfare systems - but his policies also created a huge state budget deficit , which was compensated for by large state loans , increasing the Danish state debt substantially . Numerous cuts were introduced to counteract this . Nevertheless , a wide range of progressive social reforms were introduced during Jørgensens time as prime minister . A new Social Assistance Act introduced in 1975 simplified administration , provided new types and ( in general ) substantially higher benefits , together with new criteria for granting benefits . The New Basic Education Act of June 1975 introduced 9-year general , basic education with optional 10th year and pre-school class , and also established the comprehensive principle for basic education . The National Holiday Act of April 1979 extended the obligatory number of holidays to 30 days . Under the law on entitlement to unemployment benefits of June 1976 , the permanently self-employed became entitled to membership in unemployment funds , and consequently to unemployment benefits . The Severance Pay Act of November 1978 introduced pre-retirement remuneration which provided unemployment benefits ( for those between the ages of 58 and 66 ) in cases of voluntary retirement . Under the Job Offer Scheme introduced in June 1980 , unemployment benefit entitlement for long-term unemployed persons could not be lost without an offer of a new job . A March 1975 law on regulation of housing conditions improved tenant conditions , while the Work Injury Insurance Act of March 1978 provided equality for widows and widowers . Later ventures . He was President of the Nordic Council in 1986 and 1991 , and was also head of the Danish delegation to the council during the same terms . Jørgensen was elected Dane Of The Year in 1990 in a survey conducted by Danish Gallup for Berlingske Tidende . He died on 20 March 2016 , aged 93 after suffering natural causes in Copenhagen . His funeral was held on 2 April 2016 . Personal life . In 1948 , he married Ingrid Kvist Pedersen ( 17 August 1922 – 18 October 1997 ) whom he remained married to until her death from motor neuron disease . They had 4 children . Throughout this period , he lived in the working-class area of Sydhavnen , an inner city district of Copenhagen . In 2008 , 86 years old , he finally left the Sydhavnen apartment , moving to an elderly care center . Awards . - 1970 Poul Henningsen prize , PH-prisen - 1974 Received the Mathildepris by the Danish Womens Association - 1991 Received the Drassows Legat - 1993 Received the Jytte-prize - 1994 Received the Cultural prize by the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions - 2007 Tribute album De største er de små - sange til Anker [ The Small Ones are the Greatest – Songs for Anker ] by various artists . - 2007 Honorary member of the Social Democratic Youth of Denmark Bibliography . - Fra mine dagbøger , 1989-1990 . og 1 . 1972-1975 : Bølgegang 2 . 1975-1977 : I smult vande 3 . 1978-1982 : Brændingen - Fra Christianshavn til Christiansborg : erindringer 1922-1972 / Anker Jørgensen , Fremad , 1994 . External links . - Anker Jørgensen fansite - Plads til os alle profile - Jørgensen , Anker Henrik at Leksikon.org