Poul Holmskov Schlüter (; 3 April 1929 – 27 May 2021) was a Danish politician who served as
Prime Minister of Denmark
The prime minister of Denmark ( da, Danmarks statsminister, fo, Forsætisráðharri, kl, Ministeriuneq) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Island ...
from 1982 to 1993. He was the first member of the Conservative People's Party to become Prime Minister, as well as the first conservative to hold the office since 1901. Schlüter was a member of the
Folketing (Danish parliament) for the
Conservative People's Party from 1964 to 1994. He was also Chairman of the Conservative People's Party from 1974 to 1977 and from 1981 to 1993.
Early life
Born in
Tønder, south
Jutland
Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
, he graduated from the
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public research university in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia after Uppsala Unive ...
in 1957 with a degree in law, and
joined the bar in 1960.
Political career
In 1964, Schlüter was elected to the
Folketing for the
Conservative People's Party. He was elected leader of the Conservatives from 1974, defeating
Erik Ninn-Hansen. Though he lost the position in 1977, he regained it two years later.
In 1982, after Prime Minister
Anker Jørgensen
Anker Henrik Jørgensen (13 July 1922 – 20 March 2016) was a Danish politician who served at various times as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Denmark. Between 1972 and 1982 he led five cabinets as Prime Minister. Jørgensen was Presiden ...
was forced to resign, Schlüter cobbled together a four-party coalition and was appointed his successor. During his time as Prime Minister, he was named "Nordic Politician of the Year" (in 1984). He was subsequently granted a large number of Danish and international awards and medals.
Previously, he had served as a member of the
Council of Europe from 1971 to 1974, and had headed the Danish Delegation to the
Nordic Council, where he served as a member of the Council Presidium, in 1978 and 1979. He retired as Prime Minister in 1993 after an inquiry found that he had misinformed the Danish Parliament. The case was known as the
Tamil Case ( da, Tamilsagen), as it involved asylum requests from
Tamil refugees.
When Schlüter resigned in 1993, he attempted to have
Uffe Ellemann Jensen (
Venstre) appointed acting prime minister until the Conservative
Henning Dyremose could take over. The attempt was dropped as royal cabinet secretary
Niels Eilschou Holm considered the maneuver unconstitutional. Instead,
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
Poul Oluf Nyrup Rasmussen (, informally Poul Nyrup, born 15 June 1943) is a retired Danish politician. Rasmussen was Prime Minister of Denmark from 25 January 1993 to 27 November 2001 and President of the Party of European Socialists (PES) from ...
(
Social Democrats
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...
) was appointed prime minister following a "
Queen's round".
Following his retirement as Prime Minister in 1993, Schlüter served as a member of the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
from 1994 to 1999, the first three years as Vice-President of the body.
Other ventures
In 2003, Schlüter was appointed by the Swedish Minister of Co-operation as her special envoy to promote freedom of movement in the Nordic countries. Schlüter was to work on ways of increasing individual freedom of movement and present specific proposals to the
Nordic Council Session in October 2003.
In 2004, Schlüter co-founded the first Danish free-market think tank
CEPOS, and gave the opening speech at CEPOS' opening reception at the
Hotel D'Angleterre
The Hotel d'Angleterre is one of the first deluxe hotels in the world. Situated in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark, it is located on Kongens Nytorv opposite Charlottenborg, the Royal Opera and Nyhavn. While its history dates back to 1755, it h ...
in Copenhagen.
Personal life
Schlüter was married three times. On 16 March 1963, he married Majken Steen-Andersen, but the couple divorced in 1978. Their only child, Peter, was born in 1963. Schlüter then married Lisbeth Povelsen on 20 September 1979. She died during her husband's premiership on 17 February 1988.
On 21 July 1989, while still prime minister, Schlüter married the Danish ballet dancer
Anne Marie Vessel as his third wife.
Honours
National honours
* : Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of the Dannebrog[3 orders worn by Poul](_blank)
24 March 2017[1 danish and 2 foreign orders worn by Poul](_blank)
24 March 2017
Foreign honours
* : Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of the Oak Crown
* : Knight Grand Cross of the
Royal Order of the Polar Star
The Royal Order of the Polar Star ( Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim.
The Order of ...
Bibliography
*
References
Further reading
* Wilsford, David, ed. ''Political leaders of contemporary Western Europe: a biographical dictionary'' (Greenwood, 1995) pp. 401–5.
External links
''Regeringen Poul Schlüter I'' (First Government of Poul Schlüter)— Statsministeriet (Prime Minister's Office)
— Statsministeriet
— Statsministeriet
— Statsministeriet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schluter, Poul
1929 births
2021 deaths
Danish Lutherans
Danish Justice Ministers
Prime Ministers of Denmark
University of Copenhagen alumni
Members of the Folketing
Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog
Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star
Conservatism in Denmark
Recipients of Nersornaat
20th-century Danish politicians
People from Tønder Municipality
Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class
Leaders of the Conservative People's Party (Denmark)