Danish PM Brings Conservatives Into Gov't

THIS JUST IN...

By JIM PURCELL

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen

In a report posted today by Reuters, Jacob Gronholt-Pederson has reported that Denmark's prime minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, has consented to form a new government that includes the Liberal Alliance and the Conservative Party. Rasmussen's party is in the minority in Denmark and bringing new voices into the government could be essential in negotiations involving a 10-year financial reform plan he is working on. The prime minister, who is in the Liberal Party, holds just 34 seats of Denmark's 179 seats in Parliament.

Lokke Rasmussen, 52, has served as prime minister of the Danish state since June, 2015. Previously, he was prime minister from 2009-2011. However, he has been a member of the Danish Parliament since 1994, when he was just 21 years old.

In May, 2010, Rasmussen's government made the unpopular move of announcing major spending cuts to unemployment insurance, from four years to two. He also enacted measures designed to increase state revenues and has cut foreign aid from .83 percent of GDP to .76 percent of GDP. In addition, he authorized cuts to child support. The intention of the cuts were, reportedly, to save the government 24 billion DKK.