Prime Minister
Which position did Poul Nyrup Rasmussen hold from 1993 to Nov 2001?
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen Poul Oluf Nyrup Rasmussen ( , informally Poul Nyrup , born 15 June 1943 ) , is a retired Danish politician . Rasmussen was Prime Minister of Denmark from 25 January 1993 to 27 November 2001 and President of the Party of European Socialists ( PES ) from 2004 to 2011 . He was the leader of the governing Social Democrats from 1992 to 2002 . He was a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009 . Rasmussen is a member of the Club of Madrid . In 2007 he published the book I grådighedens tid ( In a Time of Greed ) , which contains harsh criticism of the role hedge and venture capital funds play in the global economy . Early life . Rasmussen was born to a working-class family in Esbjerg in 1943 . His parents were Oluf Nyrup Rasmussen and Vera Eline Nyrup Rasmussen . He was educated at the University of Copenhagen , earning a M.sc . degree in Economics in 1971 . While studying he was active in the social democratic student union Frit Forum , where he met some of his future political colleagues . He paid his way through university by doing several jobs , like counting traffic and being a part-time delivery boy . Political career . Member of the Folketing 1987-1993 . He was first elected to the Folketing from Western Jutland in 1987 , where he became Deputy Chairman of the Social Democrats , with Svend Auken as chairman . He had together with Mogens Lykketoft made proposals for Social Democratic reforms . From 1988 to 1992 he was chairman of the Committee on Business and Trade , as well as spokesperson of Business . After the 1990 election , he was seen as a much more realistic candidate for Prime Minister than Auken . In 1992 Rasmussen replaced Auken , the long serving leader of the Social Democrats , after his failure to form a government with the Radikale Venstre after the 1990 election , despite good results for both parties . Many in the party felt that Auken had stuck to a too left wing agenda , scuttling a possible deal with the more centrist Radikale Venstre . Prime Minister 1993-2001 . Rasmussen came to power in early 1993 when then-Prime Minister Poul Schlüter resigned after an inquiry found that he had misinformed the Folketing about the so-called Tamil Case . A coalition of Social Democrats , Social Liberals , Centre Democrats and Christian Democrats , Rasmussens first cabinet made use of limited classical Keynesianism in connection with the so-called kick-start of 1993–94 as its economic policy . Under Rasmussen , Denmark experienced the most comprehensive privatisation of publicly owned assets in the 20th century . The Christian Democrats left the coalition after their defeat in the 1994 Folketing election , as did the Centre Democrats in late 1996 . Key ministers were Economy and Deputy Prime Minister , Social Liberal leader Marianne Jelved , Finance Minister Mogens Lykketoft ( Social Democrats ) and Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen ( Social Liberals ) . The centre-left coalition only narrowly held on to its parliamentary majority in the 1998 Folketing election . After the election Prime Minister Rasmussen stated that the governments first order of business was to secure a yes vote in the upcoming referendum on ratification of the Amsterdam Treaty between the member states of the European Union . Eventually there were 55% yes votes in the Danish Amsterdam Treaty referendum . Rasmussens government later presided over the 2000 referendum on Danish participation in the euro , in which participation was rejected by 53.2% of the vote . A 1998 initiative , dubbed the Whitsun Packet ( Danish : Pinsepakken ) from the season it was issued , increased taxes , limiting private consumption . It was not universally popular with the electorate , which may have been a factor in the Social Democrats defeat in the 2001 parliamentary election . Rasmussen called an early election in 2001 , saying this would give the next prime minister time to prepare for Denmarks upcoming presidency of the European Union in 2002 . The patriarchal role Rasmussen had built for himself since the 11 September attacks had gained him and the Social Liberals their highest poll ratings in years , a lead that would be eroded in the buildup to the election . He was up against Liberal leader Anders Fogh Rasmussen . The campaign focused mainly on immigration and refugees , which worked to the benefit of the anti-immigration Danish Peoples Party . Two in every three Danes now supported tighter immigration restrictions , compared to only one in two before 11 September . In the last few days of the campaign a number of predominantly left-leaning artists and intellectuals urged the Danish electorate not to vote for a rightwing government , warning that the Danish Peoples Party would then be likely to wield great influence on government policy . Other campaign focuses were on welfare and health care . Poul Nyrup Rasmussen stated the aim of creating a more robust economy to deal with the economic downturn . There was little debate about the European Union as the two leaders opinions on that subject were largely the same . The loss of power in the 2001 election to Anders Fogh Rasmussens Venstre meant that the Social Democrats lost their position as the largest party in the Folketing , a position they had held without interruption since the 1924 Folketing election . On election night Rasmussen vowed to stay on as party leader , famously declaring , I will not run away with my tail between my legs . He announced an effort of renewal within the Social Democrats , urging the promotion of centrist party members to leadership positions . Influential factions opposed Rasmussens efforts , calling his leadership into question , and in late 2002 he announced that he would be stepping down as chairman . European Parliament , 2004 . Rasmussen became an MEP for the Party of European Socialists after winning a record number of 407,966 votes for an individual ( from Denmark ) in the European Parliamentary elections in 2004 . He sat on both the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee . A key issue tackled by Rasmussen in the European Parliament was the lack of regulation for private equity and hedge funds . He worked to secure greater regulation in this area . starting long before the onset of the financial crisis . His report , proposing binding rules for all players as well as greater transparency and accountability , was passed by the European Parliament in September 2008 . Rasmussen has since criticised the European Commission , and in particular Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso and Commissioner Charlie McCreevy for failing to respond to the report with sufficient speed or dedication . Rasmussen has also slammed the commissions response to the economic crisis ; in March 2009 he wrote : A new , updated Recovery Plan is needed now , otherwise there will be 25 million unemployed in 2010 . There must be real coordination focused on real investments . Europe also needs to do more for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe . It is in our common economic and political interest to prevent financial meltdown in those countries . Europe talks a lot about solidarity , now is the time it is really needed . Party of European Socialists , 2004–11 . In 2004 Rasmussen defeated Giuliano Amato to be elected President of the PES , succeeding Robin Cook in the post . He was re-elected for a further 2.5 years at the PES Congress in Porto on 8 December 2006 . The position involves coordinating the political vision of the party , ensuring unity , chairing the party presidency and representing the party on a regular basis . As PES President he is also President of the Global Progressive Forum and sits on committee of Transatlantic Dialogue , which fosters cooperation between progressives from the US and Europe . Rasmussen has played a central role in making the party more inclusive and oversaw the launch of the network PES Activists , as well as a radically participative consultation process to construct the partys manifesto for the 2009 European election . Rasmussens influence in politicising the PES can be seen in the partys headline political initiative , New Social Europe . Based on a report written by Rasmussen and former President of the European Commission Jacques Delors , this aims at creating a fairer , more inclusive , and more dynamic society . Currently , he is on the advisory board of OMFIF where he is regularly involved in meetings regarding the financial and monetary system . Personal life . Rasmussen was married to Lone Dybkjær , a member of the Folketing ( and a former MEP ) for the centrist Radikale Venstre from 1994 until her death in 2020 . He enjoyed holidaying with his wife in their second house as well as swimming , walking , and reflecting with friends . He also likes listening to music . He is not related to his two immediate successors as Prime Minister , Anders Fogh Rasmussen or Lars Løkke Rasmussen . His daughter committed suicide in 1993 . External links . - Party of European Socialists manifesto for European elections 2009 - Presidents page on PES website - Europe and a New World Order – A Report for the Party of European Socialists by Poul Nyrup Rasmussen