Danish Party Leaders

Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Female Danish Party Leaders

Also see Denmark List of Party Leaders

1929-36 Group-Secretary in the Landsting of Det Radikale Venstre Marie Hjelmer
(Det Radikale Venstre is translated into the Social Liberals - a moderate center party)

1946-53 Group-Secretary in the Landsting of Det Radikale Venstre Anna Westergaard

1948-50 Group-Secretary in the Folketing of Hovedstadens Venstre Kirstine Ladefoged Jensen
(Translates into The Liberals of the Capital, a breakaway Faction of Venstre, the Liberals)

1950-53 Group-Secretary in the Landsting of Det Konservative Folkeparti Lisbeth Hindsgaul
She was Member of the Executive Committee of The Conservative People's Party 193?-45

1950-53 Group-Secretary in the Folketing of Dansk Kommunistisk Party (DKP) Ragnhild Andersen
She was member of the Executive Committee of the Danish Communists 1945-50.

1957-60 Group-Secretary of Det Radikale Venstre Kirsten Gloerfelt-Tarp

1964-68 Deputy Group-Chairperson of Det Radikale Venstre Else-Merete Ross
Member of the Executive Committee of the Party 1961-64.

1966-73 Group-secretary of Det Konservative Folkeparti Karin Lysager

1968-69 Group-Chairperson of Venstresocialisterne Hanne Reintofte
She was parliamentary leader of the Left Socialists

1972-76 Deputy Party-Chairperson of Det Radikale Venstre Inger Dalby Lillelund

1973-73 Group-Secretary of Kristelig Folkeparti Inger Stilling Petersen
1977-78 Group-Secretary
1984-87 Deputy Group-Chairperson
1987-88 Group-Chairperson
1987-90 Group-Secretary
1990-94 Deputy Group-Chairperson
The Christian People's Party is a very small christian party.

1974-75 Group-Chairperson of De Uafhængige Birgit Busk
The "Independent's" broke away from Fremskridtspartiet

1974-75 Deputy Group-Chairperson of Fremskridtspartiet (Z) Kirsten Jacobsen
1977-78 Deputy Group-Chairperson
1989 Group-Chairperson
1995-97 Political Spokesperson and Party Leader
1999-2000 Co-Leader Frihed 2000 (Freedom 2000)
Fremskritspartiet means Progress Party. In 1999 she and the other three MP's left, when the founder of the Party, Mogens Glistrup, was readmitted to the party. They formed a parliamentary grouping named "Freedom 2000" and did not stand in the 2001-elections. She was Deputy Chairperson of the Folketing 1990-96.

1975-77 Group-Secretary of Det Konservative Folkeparti Karen Thurø Hansen
1981-86 Deputy Group-Chairperson

1977-91 Group-Chairperson of Socialistisk Folkeparti Ebba Strange
In 1979 the Socialistisk Folkeparti, which is moderate socialist, had a majority of female MPs. (b. 1929-)

1977-78 Deputy Group-Chairperson of Retsforbundet (RF) Lis Starcke
1978-79 Group-Chairperson
1979-82 Deputy Group-Chairperson
Retsforbundet is translated into the Justice Party

1977-79 Deputy Group-Chairperson of Venstre Natalie Lind
Former Minister for the rightwing Liberal Party (The literal translation of the Party's name is "Left", as it started out as opposition to Højre ("Right") - today's Conservative People's Party).

1977-79 Deputy Group-Chairperson of Socialdemokraterne Dorthe Koch Bennedsen
Former Social Democratic Minister

1977-78 Group-Secretary of Fremskridtspartiet Eva Rothenborg
1979-81 Group-Secretary

1980-83 Deputy Party Chairperson of Socialdemokraterne Inge Fisher Møller

1980-81 Deputy Group-Chairperson of Centrumdemokraterne Mimi Jacobsen
1981-82 Political Spokesperson
1988-92 Political Spokesperson
1989-2005 Party Chairperson and Leader
1997-2000 Political Spokesperson
Former Minister and Deputy Premier Minister for the moderate Center Democrats, founded by her father in 1973 as a break-away Faction from the Social Democrats. In 2001 and 2005 the party did not re-enter the Folketing and in 2005 she resigned.

Until 1979 General Secretary of Centrum-Demokraterne Edna Dueholm

1979-89 General Secretary of Centrum-Demokraterne Yvonne Herløv Andersen
1982-84 Group Chairperson
Later Minister Minister of Social Affairs in 1994 and 1994-96 Minister of Health.

Ca. 1980 General Secretary of Socialistisk Folkeparti Lilian Ubbesen

Ca. 1980 General Secretary of Retsforbundet Mette Bikes Jensen

1980-84 Group-Secretary of Det Radikale Venstre Aase Olesen
Later Minister for the Party

1981-84 Group-Chairperson of Venstresocialisterne (VS) Anne-Grethe Holmsgård
1982-86 Political Spokesperson

1981-86 Group-Secretary of Socialdemokraterne Jytte Andersen
2000-01 Vice-Group Chairperson
Also Secretary of the Presidium of the Folketing 1981-86. 1993-98 Minister of Labour and 1998-2000 of Cities and Housing.

1981-84 Group-Secretary of Kristelig Folkeparti Inge Krogh

1982 Deputy Group-Chairperson of Socialdemokraterne Ritt Bjerregaard
1982-87 1. Deputy Group-Chairperson
1987-91 Group-Chairperson
Also former Minister, EU-Commissioner and Lord Mayor of Copenhagen from 2006.

1982 Deputy Group-Chairperson of Centrum-Demokraterne Birgit Mogensen

1982-93 Group-Secretary of Centrum-Demokraterne Bente Juncker
1984-85 Deputy Group-Chairperson
1993-94 Group-Chairperson

1982-85 Deputy Party-Chairperson of Venstre Hanne Severinsen

1983-84 Deputy Party-Chairperson of Socialdemokraterne Tove Smidth

1984-87 Group-Secretary of Fremskridtspartiet Pia Kjærsgaard
1985-94 Political Spokesperson, Deputy Party-Chairperson and Party Leader of Fremskridtspartiet
1995- Leader of Dansk Folkeparti
1996- Party Chairperson and Political Spokesperson
She founded Danish People's Party after a split in the likewise right-wing Progress-Party where she had been leader since the founder, Mogens Glistrup went to prison for tax-fraud.

1984 Group-Secretary of Venstresocialisterne Elisabeth Bruun Olesen
1985-86 Group-Chairperson

1984-96 Deputy Party-Chairperson of Socialdemokraterne Birte Weiss
Minister 1993-2001.

1985-89 Party Chairperson of Fremskridtspartiet Anette Just
1994-97 Group Secretary

1986-87 Political Spokesperson of Det Konservative Folkeparti Grethe Fenger Møller

1987-88 Group-Secretary of Fremskridtspartiet Jane Oksen

1987-94 2. Deputy Group-Chairperson of Socialistisk Folkeparti Lilly Gyldenkilde
On various occasions Vice-Chairperson of the Folketing

1987-88 Group-Secretary of Det Radikale Venstre Dagmar Mørk Jensen

1988-93 and 2001- Group-Chairperson and Political Spokesperson of Det Radikale Venstre Marianne Jelved
1990- Party Leader
Deputy Premier Minister and Minister of Economy 1993-2001.

1988-90 Group-Secretary of Det Radikale Venstre Kirsten Lee

1989-90 Political Spokesperson of Det Konservative Folkeparti Conni Hedegaard
MP 1984-90 and since 2005. From 2004 Minister of Environment

1989-93 Deputy Party-Chairperson of Centrum-Demokraterne Addi Andersen

1990-93 Chairperson of Kommunistist Forum (KF) Betty Frydenberg Carlsson
1993-2003 Chairperson of Dansk Kommunistisk Parti (DKP)
2003- Chairperson of Kommunistisk Parti i Danmark (KiP)
KF was the orthodox Communists - when the majority of the party joined the Leftwing Alliance, (Enhedslisten) she took over as leader of the tiny leftovers of the old DKP

1990-94 Group-Secretary of Det Radikale Venstre Elisabeth Arnold
1994-2000 Deputy Group-Chairperson
2000-01 Group-Chairperson
She was Vice-Chairperson of the Folketing 1994-98 and Secretary from 2005.

1990-92 Group-Secretary of Socialistisk Folkeparti Pernille Frahm
Secretary of the Folketing from 2007.

1990-93 Group-Secretary of Socialdemokraterne Pia Gjellerup
1994-98 Group-Chairperson
2001-02 Group-Secretary
2002-05 Group-Chairperson
As Group-Secretary she was also Secretary of the Presidium of the Folketing 1994-98. Minister 1993 and 1998-2001.

1990-2005 Group-Secretary of Venstre Inge Fahlmann Dahl-Sørensen
Also Secretary of the Folketing 2001-05.

1990 Group-Secretary of Fremskridtspartiet Tove Niemann

1990-91 Deputy Party-Chairperson Det Radikale Venstre Grethe Erichsen
1991-93 Party Chairperson

1991-98 Deputy Party-Chairperson Socialistisk Folkeparti Christine Antorini
1998-99 Group-Secretary
(b. 1964-)

1991-92 2. Deputy Group-Chairperson Socialdemokraterne Lone Halskov Møller

1993-94 Group-Secretary of Socialdemokraterne Ingrid Rasmussen
As Group-Secretary she was also Secretary of the Presidium of the Folketing. She was Deputy Chairperson of the Defence Committee and Leader of the Danish Delegation the North Atlantic (NATO) Assembly 1994-2001 and Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee 2000-2001.

1993-94 Group-Secretary and Political Spokesperson of Kristelig Folkeparti Merete Due Jensen

1991-94 2. Deputy Group-Chairperson of Det Konservative Folkeparti Anne Birgitte Lundholt
1994-95 Deputy Group-Chairperson
1995-97 Political Spokesperson and Deputy Party-Leader
In 1997 she was candidate for the leadership of the Party. Former minister

1992-2004 Spokesperson Junibevægelsen Drude Dahlerup
The EU-Sceptical June Movement has got a collective leadership but she is its chief spokseperson. Professor of Political Science in Stockholm. Daughter of former Rightwing Liberal MP (1945-50), Elin Høghsbro Appel (1913-80) and Erik Dahlerup. Her sister, Ulla Dahlerup was candidate for the European Parliament for Danish People's Party in 2004. Drude is (b. 1945-)

1993-94 Deputy Group-Chairperson of Centrum-Demokraterne Jette Pors

1993-99 Organisatiorial Party-Chairperson of Centrum-Demokraterne Inger Boriis

1993-97 Party-Chairperson Det Radikale Venstre Margrethe Vestager
2001- Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group
From 1998 Minister. (b. 1968-)

1993-95 Deputy Party-Chairperson of Det Radikale Venstre Kirsten Grønfeldt

1993-95 Deputy Party-Chairperson of Centrum-Demokraterne Susanne Tarp

1994-2001 Group-Secretary of Socialdemokraterne Grete Bøgebjerg Schødts
Also Secretary of the Presidium of the Folketing 1994-2005. (b. 1945-)

1994-97 Group-Secretary of Det Radikale Venstre Vibeke Peschardt

1994-2001 Group-Secretary of Centrum-Demokraterne Sonja Albrink

1994-95 Group-Chairperson of Enhedslisten Jette Ryde Gottlieb
2000-01 Group-Chairperson
The Unity List is a merger of a number of former small leftwing parties

1996-2002 Deputy Party-Chairperson of Socialdemokraterne Lene Jensen

1997-99 Deputy Group-Chairperson of Det Konservative Folkeparti Pernille Sams

1997-2001 Group-Secretary of Det Radikale Venstre Dorit Myltof

1997-2000 Deputy Party-Chairperson of Det Radikale Venstre Lone Loklindt
2000-01 Acting Chairperson

1998-99 Political Spokesperson and Party-Leader of Det Konservative Folkeparti Pia Christmas-Møller
2001-07 Political Spokesperson
Left the Conservative People's Party in 2007. (b. 1961-)

1998-2001 Political Spokesperson of Venstre Ulla Pedersen Tørnæs
Minister of Education and Development Aid from 2001. (b. 1962-)

1998-2002 Group-Secretary of Kristelig Folkeparti Tove Videbæk
2002-05 Deputy Group Chairperson of Kristendemokraterne

1998-2003 Deputy Party-Chairperson of Socialistisk Folkeparti Jane Findahl
(b. 1956-)

1998-2002 Chairperson of Fælles Kurs Gitte Thomsen
Common Course was no longer in the Folketing

1999-2001 Political Spokesperson Det Konservative Folkeparti Lene Espersen
After a long feud in the party a new leadership was elected under group-Chairperson Bendt Bendtsen with her as deputy. (b. 1968-)

1999-2001 Group-Secretary of Det Konservative Folkeparti Gitte Seeberg
2001-04 Deputy Group Chairperson
2007 Joint Leader of Ny Alliance
As Group-Secretary she was also Secretary of the Presidium of the Folketing. Conservative MP 1994-2004, MEP 2004-07, MP for Ny Alliance 2007-08 and then independent. (b. 1960-)

2000-01 Political Spokesperson of Socialdemokraterne Pernille Blach Hansen
2001-02 Assistant Political Spokesperson
2001-05 Deputy Group Chairperson
MP 1998-2006 when she resigned. In 2001 she was on maternity leave for a number of months. (b. 1975-)

2000-01 Group Chairperson of Det Liberale Højre Inge Refshauge
She and another MP left the Danish People's Party and joined the new The Liberal Right, which had not previously been represented in Parliament. It brought the number of parties in the parliament to 12.

2001-02 Vicechairperson of Det Radikale Venstre Mette Bock

2001-04 Secretary of the Group of Det Konservative Folkeparti Else Theill Sørensen
2004-05 Deputy Group Chairperson
2005 Acting Group Chairperson
MF 2001-05. Since the previous chairperson did not stand for reelection she became Acting Chairperson on 09.02 but the next day it became clear that she had lost her seat to the Social Liberals after a recount of the votes.

2001-05 Deputy Group Chairperson of Venstre Rikke Hvilshøj
2005 Acting Group Chairperson (10.02-18.02)
Deputy Mayor of Frederiksberg 1998-2001 and MP from 1994. She became Acting Chair since the previous chair lost his seat during the elections. Minister of Integration and Refugees 2005-07. Unsuccesfull candidate for the post of Deputy Groupchairperson in 2007.

2001-03 Chairperson of Fremskridtspartiet Åse Herkjær
Former Vice-Chairperson.

2002-05 Vice-Chairperson of the Social Democrats Lotte Bundsgaard
2005-06 Political Spokesperson
Minister of Housing and Cities and Minister for Equality 2000-02. (b. 1973-)

2002-04 Deputy Chairperson of Socialistisk Folkeparti Mette Feifer
(b. 1976-)

2002- Vice-Chairperson of Demokratisk Folkeparti Ulla Hammer
Democratic People's party is a breakaway Faction from Danish People's Party.

2002-05 Chairperson of Kristendemokraterne Marianne Karlsmose
Until 2003 the name of the Party was Kristeligt Folkeparti (Christian People's Party and Christian Democrats). The party is not represented in parliament since 2005. (b. 1973-).

2002-04 Group Secretary of Kristendemokraterne Bodil Holmgren Kornbek
2005- Party Chairperson

2004-07 Group Chairperson of Enhedslisten Line Barfod
2007 Vice-Chairperson of the Group
2007- Group Chairperson of Enhedslisten
Temporary MP in 1998 and MP since 2001. (b. 1964-).

2004-05 Vice-Chairperson of Socialistisk Folkeparti Trine Bendix Knudsen
2005 Acting Chairperson (02.04-)

2004- Spokesperson Folkebevægelsen mod EU Ditte Staun
People's Movement Against EU has got a collective leadership but she is its chief spokseperson. (b. 1976-).

2004-05 Spokesperson Junibevægelsen Hanne Dahl
2005- Chairperson
Until 2005 the EU-Sceptical June Movement had got a collective leadership and she was its chief spokseperson before being elected as Chair. She works as a priest. (b. 1970-).

2004- Vice-Chairperson of Centrumdemokraterne Malene Brus

2005- Group Secretary of Socialistisk Folkeparti Anne Baastrup
SF does not have a Vice-Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group. (b. 1953-).

2005-06 Deputy Group Chairperson of Det Konservative Folkeparti Carina Christensen
Member of the Councy Council of Fyn 2002-07, MP from 2001 and member of the Regional Council of Southern Denmark in 2006. Minister of Family and Consumer Affairs from 2006.

2005- Chairperson of the Socialdemokraterne Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Member of the European Parliament 1999-2004 and MF from 2005. Married to Stephen Kinnock and mother of two daughters. (b. 1966-)

2005- Deputy Group Chairperson of Socialdemokraterne Mette Frederiksen
MF from 2001. (b. 1977-).

2005-07 Deputy Group Chairperson of Venstre Inger Beinov Støjberg
2007- Political Spokesperson
Member of the City Council of Viborg 1994-2002, MP from 2001. (b. 1973-)

2006- Vice-Chairperson of Det Radikale Venstre Marianne Saxtoft
Member of the Town Council from 1994 and 1. Deputy Mayor of Hammel 2002-07. (b. 1956-).

2006-07 Group Secretary of Socialdemokraterne Lise von Seelen
Member of the Town Council of Rødekro 1986-2005, MP since 2005. (b. 1949-).

2007 Group Chairperson of the Centrumsdemokraterne Louise Frevert
Member of Copenhagen City Council for the Conservative People's Party 1994-98, for Danish People's Party 1999-2007 and for Centrumsdemokraterne from 2007, Member of Folketinget from 2001 for Danish People's Party from 2001 and the Centrumsdemokraterne from 2007. as their only MP until the elections a few months later. (b. 1953-).

2007- Political Spokesperson of Det Konservative Folkeparti Henriette Kjær
Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Equality 2001-04 and Minister of Family and Consumer Affairs 2004-05.

2007- Deputy Group Chairperson of Venstre Anne-Mette Winther Christiansen
Daughter of Else Winther Andersen, who was Minister of Social Affairs 1990-93. (b. 1966-).

2007-08 Group Secretary of Ny Alliance Malou Aaamund
MP from 2007. Joined Venstre in 2008. (b. 1969-).

Last update 05.02.08