Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Encyclopedia
Helle Thorning-Schmidt (ˈhɛlə ˈtoɐ̯neŋ ˈsmed; born 14 December 1966) is a Danish
politician and the current Prime Minister of Denmark
. She has been leader of the Danish Social Democrats
since April 2005 and prime minister since October 2011.
Thorning-Schmidt served as a Member of the European Parliament
from 1999 to 2004 before being elected to the Danish Parliament
in 2005. She replaced Mogens Lykketoft
as party chair after the 2005 parliamentary election
, leading her party through the 2007 parliamentary election
which was won by the opposing centre-right alliance. Following the September 2011 parliamentary election and two weeks of negotiations with the other opposition parties, she was appointed Prime Minister by Queen Margrethe II. She is the first woman to become Prime Minister of Denmark. Thorning-Schmidt holds degrees in political science from the University of Copenhagen
and the College of Europe
.
to Holger Thorning-Schmidt, a lecturer in mathematics and national economics at the University of Copenhagen
, and his wife Grete. Her parents were both politically conservative and she grew up in the Copenhagen suburb of Ishøj
. She attended Ishøj Gymnasium, from which she graduated in 1985. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old.
Thorning-Schmidt studied political science
at University of Copenhagen
, earning a cand.scient.pol.
degree in 1994. She also holds a master's degree in European studies
specialising in policy and public administration from the College of Europe
in Bruges
, Belgium
, where she studied from 1992 to 1993 (she is an alumna of the Charles IV
promotion). At the time, Denmark had a quota administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of one student at this prestigious institution, and Thorning-Schmidt was selected. In addition to her native Danish, she speaks fluent English and French.
She married Stephen Kinnock
in 1996, so becoming the daughter-in-law of Neil Kinnock, Baron Kinnock, former leader of the British Labour Party
and European Commissioner, and Glenys Kinnock, Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead, former British Minister for Europe. She met her husband while they were both attending the College of Europe
. They have two daughters, Johanna and Camilla. Helle lives in Copenhagen with their children, while her husband currently resides in Davos
, Switzerland
, where he works as a director for the World Economic Forum
.
She became a Social Democrat during her studies in Belgium and joined the Danish Social Democrats
in 1993.
. After her time in Brussels
she worked as an international consultant with the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions
until being elected MEP
in 1999.
, Thorning-Schmidt was elected to the European Parliament
as a member of the Party of European Socialists
. During the five-year term, she was a member of the Employment and Social Committee
and served as a substitute on the Constitutional Committee
. She co-founded the Campaign for Parliament Reform (CPR).
.
lost five seats and failed to regain the majority it had lost in the 2001 election, former Minister of Finance
and party leader Mogens Lykketoft
resigned his post, taking responsibility for the poor election results. In his speech of resignation on election night, 8 February 2005, he called for a leadership election in order to determine who should lead the party into the next election.
Thorning-Schmidt campaigned for the party leadership as a moderate candidate and was elected by the party members on 12 April 2005, ahead of the other candidate, Frank Jensen
. She led the Social Democrats
in the 2007 election, in which her party suffered modest losses and was forced into a third term in opposition. The party was also unable to regain its position as the largest party in the Folketing
.
She was against holding a referendum on the European Reform Treaty
. During her 2007 campaign she promised to relax restrictions on asylum seekers and immigrants. She also opposed tax cuts announced by Anders Fogh Rasmussen
, instead stating she would like to see more funding for welfare. The party also campaigned on a platform of combating increased inequalities in society, and fighting global warming by supplying 45% of Denmark's energy from renewable sources by 2025.
Although her party again lost two seats in the 2007 election reducing the total to 45 seats, her leadership was not questioned by her party. In June 2008, according to a Gallup poll, the opposition centre-left was at 49.8% compared to 49.6% for the centre-right. This would leave the centre-left with 88 seats, two short of a majority, discounting the Faroe Island and Greenland
seats. Since late 2009 the opposition enjoyed large majorities in the polls, and according to polls carried out in January 2011 the opposition led the governing coalition under Lars Løkke Rasmussen
by 5–7 points and the Social Democrats
led Venstre by 7–10 points which would make the Social Democrats
the largest party by far in the Folketing
.
Both Margrethe Vestager
(Social Liberal Party) and Villy Søvndal
(Socialist People's Party
) have pledged their support to Thorning-Schmidt after a potential election victory. After the last election Helle Thorning-Schmidt started working towards forming a centre-left
government coalition consisting of the Socialist People's Party
and the Social Liberal Party with parliamentary support from the small Red-Green Alliance
. As the leader of the largest opposition party in Denmark, she has been described by the media as the leader of the Danish opposition.
became the largest party and gained a seat and the Social Democrats lost a seat, the opposition parties combined obtained more seats than the government coalition. Her four-party bloc gained a majority of 89 seats in the 179-seat parliament against 86 for the sitting Prime Minister and his center-right parliamentary supporters. Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen
formally tendered his resignation to Queen Margrethe on 16 September 2011. Rasmussen's cabinet remained in office as a caretaker government
until 3 October, when Helle Thorning-Schmidt was appointed Prime Minister by the Queen following negotiations with the other opposition parties.
in Libya
, to which Denmark was a contributor, less than three weeks after taking office.
and the police have investigated reports that Thorning-Schmidt's husband, Stephen Kinnock, was guilty of tax evasion
. Kinnock had declared that he was not a resident of Denmark and thus not subject to Danish taxes, while at the same time Thorning-Schmidt had declared, in an application for dispensation for Kinnock to own property in Denmark, that he resided in Denmark "every weekend of the year from Friday through Monday". Thorning-Schmidt attributed the discrepancy to a "big and sloppy error". On 16 September 2010, Danish tax authorities acquitted the couple and the charges of tax evasion were dropped.
In September 2011 the 2010 decision from SKAT surfaced in the Danish newspaper B.T.
It turned out that Thorning-Schmidt from 2000 to 2008 had made use of tax deductions applicable to her husband, even though he was not subject to Danish taxes and had no income in Denmark. The mistake was corrected by SKAT for the three years from 2006 to 2008, and Thorning-Schmidt paid the amount she had saved due to the error. She was however not required to pay the amounts saved for the six years from 2000 to 2005, because of the statutory time limit for liability in such cases.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
politician and the current Prime Minister of Denmark
Prime Minister of Denmark
The Prime Minister of Denmark is the head of government in Danish politics. The Prime Minister is traditionally the leader of a political coalition in the Folketing and presides over the cabinet....
. She has been leader of the Danish Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
since April 2005 and prime minister since October 2011.
Thorning-Schmidt served as a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
from 1999 to 2004 before being elected to the Danish Parliament
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
in 2005. She replaced Mogens Lykketoft
Mogens Lykketoft
Mogens Lykketoft is a Danish politician, former government minister and current Speaker of the Folketing. In December 2002 he succeeded former Danish prime minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen as leader of the Social Democratic party ....
as party chair after the 2005 parliamentary election
Danish parliamentary election, 2005
Parliamentary elections were held in Denmark on 8 February 2005. Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's Venstre retained the largest number of seats in parliament. The governing coalition between the Venstre and the Conservative People's Party remained intact, with the Danish People's Party...
, leading her party through the 2007 parliamentary election
Danish parliamentary election, 2007
The 66th Folketing election in Denmark was held on 13 November 2007. The election allowed prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to continue for a third term in a coalition government consisting of the Liberals and the Conservative People's Party with parliamentary support from the Danish People's...
which was won by the opposing centre-right alliance. Following the September 2011 parliamentary election and two weeks of negotiations with the other opposition parties, she was appointed Prime Minister by Queen Margrethe II. She is the first woman to become Prime Minister of Denmark. Thorning-Schmidt holds degrees in political science from the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
and the College of Europe
College of Europe
The College of Europe is an independent university institute of postgraduate European studies with the main campus in Bruges, Belgium...
.
Early life, education and personal background
Helle Thorning-Schmidt was born in RødovreRødovre
Rødovre Kommune is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Its mayor is Erik Nielsen, a member of the Social Democrats political party who hold a majority of seats in the council.-History:The municipality was created in 1901 when the parish of Rødovre was...
to Holger Thorning-Schmidt, a lecturer in mathematics and national economics at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
, and his wife Grete. Her parents were both politically conservative and she grew up in the Copenhagen suburb of Ishøj
Ishøj
Ishøj Municipality is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers 26 km², with a total population of 20,687 , many of whom are Pakistani, African, Arab, or Turkish immigrants...
. She attended Ishøj Gymnasium, from which she graduated in 1985. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old.
Thorning-Schmidt studied political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
, earning a cand.scient.pol.
Cand.scient.pol.
Cand.scient.pol. is a candidate's degree, viz. an advanced degree, in political science, awarded by several Danish universities. The degree currently requires 5 years of studies, historically 6 years...
degree in 1994. She also holds a master's degree in European studies
European studies
European studies is a field of study offered by many academic colleges and universities that focuses on current developments in European integration....
specialising in policy and public administration from the College of Europe
College of Europe
The College of Europe is an independent university institute of postgraduate European studies with the main campus in Bruges, Belgium...
in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, where she studied from 1992 to 1993 (she is an alumna of the Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
promotion). At the time, Denmark had a quota administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of one student at this prestigious institution, and Thorning-Schmidt was selected. In addition to her native Danish, she speaks fluent English and French.
She married Stephen Kinnock
Stephen Kinnock
The Hon. Stephen Kinnock is a British executive who held various senior positions with the British Council prior to joining the World Economic Forum in January 2009 as director, head of Europe and Central Asia...
in 1996, so becoming the daughter-in-law of Neil Kinnock, Baron Kinnock, former leader of the British Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and European Commissioner, and Glenys Kinnock, Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead, former British Minister for Europe. She met her husband while they were both attending the College of Europe
College of Europe
The College of Europe is an independent university institute of postgraduate European studies with the main campus in Bruges, Belgium...
. They have two daughters, Johanna and Camilla. Helle lives in Copenhagen with their children, while her husband currently resides in Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he works as a director for the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
.
She became a Social Democrat during her studies in Belgium and joined the Danish Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
in 1993.
Early career
From 1994 to 1997, Thorning-Schmidt led the secretariat of the Danish delegation of Social Democrats in the European ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. After her time in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
she worked as an international consultant with the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions
Danish Confederation of Trade Unions
LO, The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions was founded in 1898 and is an umbrella organisation for 18 Danish trade unions....
until being elected MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
in 1999.
Member of the European Parliament 1999–2004
In 1999European Parliament election, 1999 (Denmark)
The European Parliament election of 1999 in Denmark was the election of MEP representing Denmark constituency for the 1999-2004 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 1999 European election...
, Thorning-Schmidt was elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
as a member of the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
. During the five-year term, she was a member of the Employment and Social Committee
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs is a committee of the European Parliament.- Chairman :2009 - : -External links:*...
and served as a substitute on the Constitutional Committee
Committee on Constitutional Affairs
The Committee on Constitutional Affairs is a committee of the European Parliament dealing with institutional matters such as the treaties and the Parliament's rules of procedure. As of 2008, it is chaired by Jo Leinen MEP .-External links:*...
. She co-founded the Campaign for Parliament Reform (CPR).
Member of the Folketing
In the 2005 Danish parliamentary election Thorning-Schmidt was elected to the FolketingFolketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
.
Leader of the Social Democrats in opposition
After the defeat in the 2005 election, in which the Social DemocratsSocial Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
lost five seats and failed to regain the majority it had lost in the 2001 election, former Minister of Finance
Finance Minister of Denmark
The Finance Minister of Denmark is the head of the Ministry of Finance of Denmark, and a member of the Cabinet. As head of the ministry, the minister has responsibility for the ministry's tasks of administrering the state finances via the fiscal policy, and making economic predictions and...
and party leader Mogens Lykketoft
Mogens Lykketoft
Mogens Lykketoft is a Danish politician, former government minister and current Speaker of the Folketing. In December 2002 he succeeded former Danish prime minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen as leader of the Social Democratic party ....
resigned his post, taking responsibility for the poor election results. In his speech of resignation on election night, 8 February 2005, he called for a leadership election in order to determine who should lead the party into the next election.
Thorning-Schmidt campaigned for the party leadership as a moderate candidate and was elected by the party members on 12 April 2005, ahead of the other candidate, Frank Jensen
Frank Jensen
Frank Jensen is a Danish politician, member of the Danish Social Democrats, and has been Lord Mayor of Copenhagen since 1 January 2010...
. She led the Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
in the 2007 election, in which her party suffered modest losses and was forced into a third term in opposition. The party was also unable to regain its position as the largest party in the Folketing
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
.
She was against holding a referendum on the European Reform Treaty
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
. During her 2007 campaign she promised to relax restrictions on asylum seekers and immigrants. She also opposed tax cuts announced by Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician, and the 12th and current Secretary General of NATO. Rasmussen served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 27 November 2001 to 5 April 2009....
, instead stating she would like to see more funding for welfare. The party also campaigned on a platform of combating increased inequalities in society, and fighting global warming by supplying 45% of Denmark's energy from renewable sources by 2025.
Although her party again lost two seats in the 2007 election reducing the total to 45 seats, her leadership was not questioned by her party. In June 2008, according to a Gallup poll, the opposition centre-left was at 49.8% compared to 49.6% for the centre-right. This would leave the centre-left with 88 seats, two short of a majority, discounting the Faroe Island and Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
seats. Since late 2009 the opposition enjoyed large majorities in the polls, and according to polls carried out in January 2011 the opposition led the governing coalition under Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Lars Løkke Rasmussen is a Danish politician who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from April 2009 to October 2011. He is the leader of the centre-right liberal party, Venstre....
by 5–7 points and the Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
led Venstre by 7–10 points which would make the Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
the largest party by far in the Folketing
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
.
Both Margrethe Vestager
Margrethe Vestager
Margrethe Vestager is a Danish politician representing Det Radikale Venstre. She has been a Member of Parliament since 20 November 2001. On 15 June 2007 she was appointed parliamentary group leader of her party, replacing Marianne Jelved....
(Social Liberal Party) and Villy Søvndal
Villy Søvndal
Villy Søvndal is a Danish politician and Minister for Foreign Affairs in the government of Denmark since October 2011. Søvndal, a member of the Danish Parliament since 1994, is also leader of the Socialist People's Party....
(Socialist People's Party
Socialist People's Party (Denmark)
The Socialist People's Party is a green and socialist political party in Denmark.-1959–69:The SF was founded on 15 February 1959 by Aksel Larsen, a former leader of the Communist Party of Denmark and CIA agent. Larsen was removed from the ranks of the DKP for his criticism over the Soviet...
) have pledged their support to Thorning-Schmidt after a potential election victory. After the last election Helle Thorning-Schmidt started working towards forming a centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
government coalition consisting of the Socialist People's Party
Socialist People's Party (Denmark)
The Socialist People's Party is a green and socialist political party in Denmark.-1959–69:The SF was founded on 15 February 1959 by Aksel Larsen, a former leader of the Communist Party of Denmark and CIA agent. Larsen was removed from the ranks of the DKP for his criticism over the Soviet...
and the Social Liberal Party with parliamentary support from the small Red-Green Alliance
Red-Green Alliance (Denmark)
The Red-Green Alliance is a socialist political party in Denmark.- History :The party was formed in 1989 as an electoral alliance by three left-wing parties, Left Socialists , Communist Party of Denmark and Socialist Workers Party...
. As the leader of the largest opposition party in Denmark, she has been described by the media as the leader of the Danish opposition.
Appointment as Prime Minister
In the 2011 parliamentary election, she was re-elected to parliament. Although the ruling Liberal PartyVenstre (Denmark)
VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
became the largest party and gained a seat and the Social Democrats lost a seat, the opposition parties combined obtained more seats than the government coalition. Her four-party bloc gained a majority of 89 seats in the 179-seat parliament against 86 for the sitting Prime Minister and his center-right parliamentary supporters. Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Lars Løkke Rasmussen is a Danish politician who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from April 2009 to October 2011. He is the leader of the centre-right liberal party, Venstre....
formally tendered his resignation to Queen Margrethe on 16 September 2011. Rasmussen's cabinet remained in office as a caretaker government
Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...
until 3 October, when Helle Thorning-Schmidt was appointed Prime Minister by the Queen following negotiations with the other opposition parties.
Prime Minister of Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt officially began her first term as Prime Minister on 3 October 2011, after having presented her cabinet to the Queen and having received her official appointment. Thorning-Schmidt presided over the successful conclusion of NATO's strike missionsOperation Unified Protector
Operation Unified Protector was an NATO operation enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 concerning the 2011 Libyan civil war and adopted on 17 February and 17 March respectively...
in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, to which Denmark was a contributor, less than three weeks after taking office.
Controversy
The Danish tax authorities (SKAT)SKAT (tax agency)
SKAT is the name of the Danish tax authority. It is the state authority under which the Danish Treasury calculates and collects taxes and levies charges. The authority also undertakes property valuation and settlement of debts....
and the police have investigated reports that Thorning-Schmidt's husband, Stephen Kinnock, was guilty of tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
. Kinnock had declared that he was not a resident of Denmark and thus not subject to Danish taxes, while at the same time Thorning-Schmidt had declared, in an application for dispensation for Kinnock to own property in Denmark, that he resided in Denmark "every weekend of the year from Friday through Monday". Thorning-Schmidt attributed the discrepancy to a "big and sloppy error". On 16 September 2010, Danish tax authorities acquitted the couple and the charges of tax evasion were dropped.
In September 2011 the 2010 decision from SKAT surfaced in the Danish newspaper B.T.
B.T. (tabloid)
B.T. is a Danish tabloid newspaper which offers general news about various subjects such as sports, politics and current affairs.A large, red neon sign displays the B.T. logo at the square Trianglen in Østerbro, a part of Copenhagen....
It turned out that Thorning-Schmidt from 2000 to 2008 had made use of tax deductions applicable to her husband, even though he was not subject to Danish taxes and had no income in Denmark. The mistake was corrected by SKAT for the three years from 2006 to 2008, and Thorning-Schmidt paid the amount she had saved due to the error. She was however not required to pay the amounts saved for the six years from 2000 to 2005, because of the statutory time limit for liability in such cases.