Helle Thorning-Schmidt : Ask Biography

Personal data

Date of birth

14 December 1966(age 49)

Place of birth

Rødovre, Denmark

Political party

Social Democrats

Spouse

Stephen Kinnock
(m. 1996 � present)

Children

2 daughters

Alma mater

University of Copenhagen
College of Europe

Prime Minister of Denmark

Assumed office

3 October 2011

Monarch

Margrethe II

Preceded by

Lars Løkke Rasmussen

Leader of the Social Democrats

Assumed office

12 April 2005

Preceded by

Mogens Lykketoft

Member of Parliament

Assumed office

8 February 2005

Member of the European Parliament for
Denmark

In office

10 June 1999 - 13 July 2004

Home | Office Holder | Helle Thorning-Schmidt

Helle Thorning-Schmidt (-daˈhɛlə 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.