Anker Jørgensen

Infobox Prime Minister
name =Anker Jørgensen


order2 =Prime Minister of Denmark
term_start2 =October 5 1972
term_end2 =December 19 1973
predecessor2 =Jens Otto Krag
successor2 =Poul Hartling
term_start3 =February 13 1975
term_end3 =September 10 1982
predecessor3 =Poul Hartling
successor3 =Poul Schlüter
birth_date =Birth date and age|1922|7|13|mf=yes
birth_place =Copenhagen
death_date =
death_place =
party =Social Democrats
religion =Lutheran/Church of Denmark

Anker Jørgensen (born July 13, 1922) is a former Danish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. He led or represented the Social Democratic Party for well over 30 years.

Early Political and Personal Life

Anker Henrik Jørgensen was born on July 13, 1922 in a poor area of Copenhagen to Johannes Albert Jørgensen and Maria Jørgensen. He was bought up by close members of his family. In 1948 he married Ingrid Kvist Pedersen (17 August 1922 – 18 October 1997) whom he remained married to until her death in 1997. They had 4 children. Throughout this period, he lived in the working-class area of Sydhavnen, an inner city district of Copenhagen.

He began his political carer early, and in 1950 he became a member of a trade union. He led the Danish Workers Union, SiD, between 1968 and 1972. Whilst he was chairman of the Danish Workers Union, he was elected to the Folketing for the first of many times in 1964.

Prime Minister

In 1972, he succeeded Jens Otto Krag as Prime Minister of Denmark following the European Union Referendum of that year. He would hold this position for 14 months until the election when he would be succeeded by liberal Poul Hartling.

After just over a year in opposition, he would return as Prime Minister of Denmark at the head of a coalition between the Social Democrats and the Liberals. This coalition would last until October 23, 1979, and for a brief period of two months in 1978 he concurrently held the position of foreign minister. During this time, Anker Jørgensen would preside over the electoral age referendum.

For the rest of his period in office, he would lead a solitary Social Democrat government. He stepped down as prime minister on September 10, 1982 due to an uncertain parliamentary situation, he did, however, remain as leader of the Social Democrats until his resignation in 1987 when he was succeeded by Svend Auken. Throughout his time in office, he showed strong leadership and guided Denmark into the European Union and further developed 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.

He was the head of the Danish delegation to the Nordic Council. Jørgensen was elected "Dane Of The Year" in 1990. He has written several autobiographies.

Public Perception

* Whilst in government, Anker Jørgensen became famous for being the People’s Gentleman.
* He gained a reputation as being a hard, dedicated worker.

Awards

* 1970 PH-prisen
* 1974 Dansk Kvindesamfunds Mathildepris
* 1991 Drassows Legat
* 1993 Jytte-prisen
* 1994 LO's kulturpris
* 2007 1. maj udsendtes en hyldest-cd "DE STØRSTE ER DE SMÅ - sange til Anker" med Diverse kunstnere.
* 2007 Æresmedlem DSU

Books

* Fra mine dagbøger, 1989-1990. ISBN 87-557-1543-5 og ISBN 87-557-1544-3
*# 1972-1975: Bølgegang
*# 1975-1977: I smult vande
*# 1978-1982: Brændingen
* Fra Christianshavn til Christiansborg : erindringer 1922-1972 / Anker Jørgensen, Fremad, 1994. ISBN 87-557-1832-9

Persondata
NAME= Jørgensen, Anker
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Prime Minister of Denmark
DATE OF BIRTH=July 13, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH=Copenhagen
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=