Karen Jespersen

Karen Moustgaard Jespersen (born 17 January 1947 in Copenhagen) is a Danish politician, a member of Venstre. Previously she was Social Minister from 25 January 1993 to 28 January 1994 in the Cabinet of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen I, and 27 September 1994 to 23 February 2000 in the Cabinet of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen II, III and IV. She was Interior Minister 23 February 2000 to 27 November 2001 in the Cabinet of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen IV. She has been a member of the Folketing since 12 December 1990. On 12 September 2007 she replaced Eva Kjer Hansen as Social Minister and Minister for Equal Rights in the Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen II, thus becoming the first Danish politician to have represented both political wings as a government minister. [ [http://politiken.dk/indland/article379543.ece Historiker: Jespersens tigerspring er historisk] (2007-09-12). Politiken da icon. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.] On 23 November 2007, the Ministry of Interior Affairs, Ministry of Family and Consumer Affairs and the Social Ministry were merged into a Ministry of Welfare, and Jespersen became Minister of Welfare in the Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen III.

In the book "Islamister og Naivister: et anklageskrift" (Islamists and Naivists: a bill of indictment), which she wrote together with her husband, political commentator Ralf Pittelkow, she warns of an underestimation of the Islamist threat. The book is a bestseller in Denmark.

On January 14, 2007, she declared that she was no longer member of the Social Democrats.

In a press release February 1, 2007, the Liberal Party "Venstre" announced that Karen Jespersen had joined the party and would be a candidate for parliament (Folketinget) in the next election.

Many media analysts speculated that the announcement had been held back for weeks and eventually used as a diversion from the criticism the Danish prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen had experienced because of his alleged knowledge of Danish soldiers' handing down of Afghani prisoners to torture in American prison camps.Fact|date=August 2007

References

* [http://www.folketinget.dk/BAGGRUND/Biografier/Karen_Jespersen.htm Karen Jespersen] - Biography from Folketinget.