Jens Otto Krag

Infobox Officeholder
name=Jens Otto Krag


order = Leader of the Social Democrats
term_start = 1962
term_end = 1972
predecessor = Viggo Kampmann
successor = Anker Jørgensen
order2 = Prime Minister of Denmark
term_start2 = September 3, 1962
term_end2 = February 2, 1968
predecessor2 = Viggo Kampmann
successor2 = Hilmar Baunsgaard
monarch2 = Frederick IX
term_start3 = October 11, 1971
term_end3 = October 5, 1972
predecessor3 = Hilmar Baunsgaard
successor3 = Anker Jørgensen
monarch3 = Frederick IX
order4 = Trade Minister
term_start4 = November 13 1947
term_end4 = September 16 1950
predecessor4 = Axel Kristensen
successor4 = Hans Christian Hansen
primeminister4= Hans Hedtoft
order5 = Foreign Minister
term_start5 = October 8 1958
term_end5 = September 3 1962
predecessor5 = Hans Christian Hansen
successor5 = Per Hækkerup
primeminister5= Hans Christian Hansen & Viggo Kampmann
term_start6 = November 28 1966
term_end6 = October 1 1967
predecessor6 = Per Hækkerup
successor6 = Hans Tabor
primeminister6= Jens Otto Krag
order7 = Minister without Portfolio
term_start7 = September 30 1953
term_end7 = October 31 1953
predecessor7 = New office
successor7 = Office abolished
primeminister7 = Hans Hedtoft
order8 = Minister of Economy and Work
term_start8 = October 31 1953
term_end8 = May 28 1957
predecessor8 = New office
successor8 = Office abolished
primeminister8= Hans Hedtoft & Hans Christian Hansen
order9 = Minister for Foreign Financial Affairs
term_start9 = October 8 1958
term_end9 = September 3 1962
predecessor9 = New office
successor9 = Office abolished
primeminister9= Hans Christian Hansen & Viggo Kampmann
birth_date = birth date|1914|9|15|df=yes
birth_place = Randers
death_date = death date and age|1978|6|22|1914|9|15
death_place = Skiveren
party = Social Democrats
nationality = Danish
relations = Birgit Tengroth & Helle VirknerInfobox MP
order = Member of Parliament
honorific-prefix = Cand. polit.
name = Jens Otto Krag
parliament = Folketing
term_start = 1947
term_end = 1973

Jens Otto Krag (IPA2|jɛns ʌtˢo ˈkʰʁɑːˀʊ̯ˀ) (September 15 1914 – June 22 1978) was a Danish politician. He was Prime Minister 1962-1968 as leader of the Cabinet of Jens Otto Krag I and II, and again 1971-1972 as leader of the Cabinet of Jens Otto Krag III.

Krag was born in Randers, Denmark. He joined the Danish Social Democratic Party youth organization in 1930 and rose through the ranks of the party. In the 1930's he moved to Copenhagen and studied economics at the University of Copenhagen while remaining very active in the party.

During World War II, he was Danish supply director and advisor to the labor unions on economic matters. He was elected to Parliament (Folketinget) in 1947 and became Commerce Minister. He supported the strengthening of the Danish military and Danish membership of NATO in 1949.

In 1950 Krag resigned from Parliament partially due to a conflict with Vilhelm Buhl and H. C. Hansen and, in order to become more fluent in the English language and see more of the world, requested a position at the Danish embassy in the United States.Skou, Kaare R. (2005). "Dansk politik A-Å" da icon. Aschehoug, pp. 404-405. ISBN 87-11-11652-8.] He received the position, and was in America until 1953 when he was re-elected to parliament and became a minister without portfolio. He was minister of the new department of foreign economic affairs from 1953 until 1958 and Foreign Minister from 1958 until 1962.

In September 1962 he succeeded Viggo Kampmann as Prime Minister and leader of the Danish Social Democratic Party. He was Prime Minister until February 1968 when the Social Democrats lost power. He became Prime Minister again in 1971 when his party returned to power.

Less than a year into his first term as prime minister, the opposition held a referendum which rejected a set of land laws already passed by Krag's government.

During his second term as Prime Minister, Krag campaigned particularly for European cooperation and unity. He sponsored a referendum for Denmark to join the European Economic Community. In 1972 the referendum passed, but the nation was divided over the issue, and Krag resigned, claiming that he had become tired of politics. His last role in public life was as the European Common Market representative to the United States from 1974 until 1975.

Krag is widely recognised as one of the greatest politicians of all time in Denmark. He was in the front-line of politics for 25 years, holding high ministerial offices for most of that time. He managed to raise Denmark's profile on the world stage, striking up strong relationships with fellow European leaders as well as American presidents Kennedy and Johnson. His list of political achievements is also one of the most impressive, overseeing one of the longest periods of economic expansion in Danish history. However, his largest achievement, and the one he himself was most proud of, was taking Denmark into the European Economic Community in 1972. With that task accomplished he felt he could retire at a high point. Krag was at one and the same time one of the most charismatic and withdrawn Danish politicians ever. He never enjoyed the attention he had to subject to, and many people found him rather arrogant. According to his most thorough (and quite sympathetic) biographer (Bo Lidegaard, "Krag I-II", 2001/2002) he never truly settled into the role as a politician, always considering himself on the way 'to somewhere else'. Apparently the post he always dreamed of holding was that of governor of the central bank. Only when he had definitively quit politics in 1972 did he start realising that he would miss it. He didn't manage to fill that space during his remaining years.

His private life was very colourful, but ultimately rather sad. In addition to fathering a child outside wedlock, he was married twice. Both marriages ended in divorce, largely due to his own persistent infidelity. Already during his time in politics he struggled with alcoholism, an illness that became more pronounced after his retirement. He died of heart failure in Skiveren, Denmark at the age of 63.

In the Danish TV series Krøniken (2004-2006) he was portrayed by the actor Lars Mikkelsen.

References