The Prime Minister's Office (; ; ) is the cabinet ministry of the

Kingdom of Denmark The Danish Realm, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply Denmark, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united by the Constitution of Denmark, Constitutional Act, which applies to the entire territor ...

, tasked with assisting the

Prime Minister of Denmark The prime minister of Denmark (, , ) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Before the creation of the modern office, the kingdom did not init ...

, as well as the

Cabinet of Denmark The Cabinet of Denmark (), officially the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark (), is the national cabinet of the Kingdom of Denmark. It has been the chief executive body and the government of the Danish Realm—Denmark proper together with th ...

and

Council of State A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...

. The department consists of the immediate staff of the Prime Minister of Denmark, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the Prime Minister. Atypical of a Danish ministry it does not have any agencies, councils, boards or committees associated with it and its primary responsibility is to serve as the secretariat of the

, currently

Mette Frederiksen Mette Frederiksen (; born 19 November 1977) is a Danish politician who has been the Prime Minister of Denmark, prime minister of Denmark since June 2019, and Social Democrats (Denmark)#Leaders of the Social Democrats, leader of the Social Democr ...

. The ministerial purview of the department extends over multifaceted domains, notably the relationship between

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...

, and

Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...

, as constituents of the

Danish Realm The Danish Realm, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply Denmark, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united by the Constitution of Denmark, Constitutional Act, which applies to the entire territor ...

, alongside overseeing relations with the

Monarchy of Denmark The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was alrea ...

and the media. Furthermore, it addresses

constitutional A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

and legal inquiries, the legal status of the Sovereign of Denmark as a civilian, the distribution of areas of responsibility between

ministries Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...

, and ministerial appointments and dismissals, as well as other special legal issues not covered under other ministries. The Ministry of the State of Denmark was founded 1 January 1914, though its origin can be found in a small secretariat created in 1848, under the

() to assist the new Council President (), the name used for the Prime Minister of Denmark from 1855 to 1918.

History

Establishment

During the period of absolute monarchy, the responsibilities akin to those of the modern Prime Minister's Office were overseen by the Danish Chancellery (), the sole governmental office for the kingdom, managing all state affairs. At the helm of the Danish Chancellery was the Grand Chancellor (). Over time, this role evolved, transitioning into the position of Minister of State () from 1730 until 1848. But these titles did not confer formal head-of-government status, as the king retained absolute

executive authority The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

until the adoption of a liberal Constitution in the early nineteenth century. This transition marked the beginnings of the Prime Minister's Office as it is recognized today. The establishment of the office of prime minister occurred within the framework of the

constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...

delineated in 1848 and enshrined in the

Danish Constitution The Constitutional Act of the Realm of Denmark (), also known as the Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply the Constitution (, , ), is the constitution of the Kingdom of Denmark, applying equally in the Realm of Denmark: Denma ...

on 5 June 1849. This constitutional overhaul introduced a

parliamentary system A parliamentary system, or parliamentary democracy, is a form of government where the head of government (chief executive) derives their Election, democratic legitimacy from their ability to command the support ("confidence") of a majority of t ...

, featuring a newly constituted

bicameral Bicameralism is a type of legislature that is divided into two separate Deliberative assembly, assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate ...

parliament ( Rigsdagen) and a Council Presidium, presided over by a council president. Notably, the Council Presidium is considered the precursor to the contemporary Prime Minister's Office. The inaugural council president,

Adam Wilhelm Moltke Adam Wilhelm Moltke, 3rd Count of Bregentved (25 August 178515 February 1864) was a Danish nobleman, landowner, civil servant and politician, who in 1848–1852 was the first Prime Minister of Denmark under the new constitutional monarchy outl ...

, assumed office on 22 March 1848. Moltke and his immediate successors held the title of ''premierminister'', with the Prime Minister's Office initially referred to as the Secretariat of the Prime Minister. Subsequently, from 1855 onwards, the prime minister was entitled "Council President" ().

Modern office

The inception of the contemporary Prime Minister's Office dates back to 1 January 1914, coinciding with the formal establishment of the Council Presidium as a department operating under the prime minister. Prior to this, the Council Presidium had functioned informally as a council convened by the prime minister. In 1918, during the tenure of Carl Theodor Zahle as prime minister, the title of the prime minister underwent another change, adopting the designation "Minister of (the) State" in alignment with neighboring Scandinavian countries

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, a title it retains to the present day. Since its establishment, the Prime Minister's Office rapidly assumed critical responsibilities encompassing constitutional, royal, ministerial, and parliamentary affairs, enduring to this day. Under Permanent Secretary of State, Frederik Valdemar Petersen (1919–1938), the office expanded significantly, with efforts focused on broadening its remit and administrative capacity. Prime Minister

Thorvald Stauning Thorvald August Marinus Stauning (; 26 October 1873 in Copenhagen – 3 May 1942) was the first Social Democrats (Denmark), social democratic prime minister of Denmark. He served as Prime Minister from 1924 to 1926 and again from 1929 until his d ...

's 1929 vision of a future where prime ministers exclusively focus on

governance Governance is the overall complex system or framework of Process, processes, functions, structures, Social norm, rules, Law, laws and Norms (sociology), norms born out of the Interpersonal relationship, relationships, Social interaction, intera ...

, realized in 1935, set a lasting tradition. Following Petersen's tenure, staff numbers quintupled by 1955. However, new ministries saw functions and personnel transferred, resulting in a diversified portfolio by the early 1960s. A 1964–1965 reorganization saw the office temporarily operate from two locations before consolidating at

Christiansborg Palace Christiansborg Palace (, ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament (), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Also ...

in 1980. The closure of the Ministry for Greenland in 1987 prompted a staffing surge. Further streamlining in 1994 focused on core areas, supplemented by a Climate Secretariat and administrative sector. Recent expansions since 2019 aim to bolster the influence of the Prime Minister's Office, especially in relation to the historically powerful

Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...

, although its organizational capacity remains limited compared to other ministries. Additionally, the role of the Prime Minister and the Office varies based on factors like government composition.

Organization

Organizationally, the Ministry is subdivided into 2 superior units; the ministerial Secretariat (often referred to as the Political Secretariat), which performs a staff and secretarial function to the Prime Minister, and the ministerial department itself, which consists of 4 specialised divisions; the

Foreign policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...

Division, the Domestic Policy and Coordination Division, the Law Division and the Administrative Division. The Prime Minister's Office is headed by a

Permanent Secretary A permanent secretary is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day activities. Permanent secretaries are ...

. Since 2020, the permanent secretary has been Barbara Bertelsen, the first woman to hold that position. The two policy departmental divisions are headed by a Permanent

Under Secretary of State Under Secretary of State (U/S) is a title used by senior officials of the United States Department of State who rank above the Assistant Secretaries and below the Deputy Secretary. From 1919 to 1972, the Under Secretary was the second-ranking of ...

(), while the Law Division and the Administrative Division are headed by Deputy Permanent Secretaries. The Political Secretariat is headed by a

Chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

, and is also composed of two special political advisors. Traditionally characterized by a modest organizational framework, the Prime Minister's Office collaborates closely with other ministries, notably the

. Some of the workforce of the ministry, comprises personnel seconded from diverse ministries, including the

Ministry of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

and the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

. Since the 2019 government formation under Prime Minister

, the ministry has undergone significant expansion, augmenting staff and establishing new units. These developments aim to enhance the political influence and autonomy of the Prime Minister and the office compared to other ministries, particularly the Ministry of Finance. Currently, the Ministry has a record high of 104 employees.

Foreign Policy Division

The foreign policy department is sometimes referred to as the "Prime Minister's No. 1 Office" due to its significance. Headed by Permanent Under Secretary of State, Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, the Foreign Policy Division oversees matters pertaining to the international domain, encompassing

foreign affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...

security policy Security policy is a definition of what it means to ''be secure'' for a system, organization or other entity. For an organization, it addresses the constraints on behavior of its members as well as constraints imposed on adversaries by mechanisms ...

national security National security, or national defence (national defense in American English), is the security and Defence (military), defence of a sovereign state, including its Citizenship, citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of ...

, international economic concerns such as those within the European Union, global security affairs, Nordic collaboration, and issues concerning security and defense, including

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

. The Division also oversees tasks concerning the North Atlantic area, including

and the Faroe Island. These responsibilities are managed by the North Atlantic Secretariat. The chief of the Division serves a role similar to that of the National Security Advisor in the United States.

Domestic Policy and Coordination Division

The Domestic Policy and Coordination Division's responsibilities encompass government coordination, development, welfare, and

social security Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...

, with a focus on green transition. The Economic Policy Division is also incorporated into the section. The Division is tasked with handling

domestic policy Domestic policy, also known as internal policy, is a type of public policy overseeing administrative decisions that are directly related to all issues and activity within a state's borders. It differs from foreign policy, which refers to the ways ...

matters,

economic issues A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...

, and the coordination of materials for cabinet meetings, legislative programs, and the Government's Coordination Committee. It also oversees cases for the

, as well as managing press affairs. Due to the career transitions of two Permanent Under Secretaries of State, Christian Liebing and Martin Madsen, who were respectively responsible for domestic policy and economic policy, Permanent Under Secretary of State, Pelle Pape's division for government coordination and development has assumed these areas of responsibility.

Law Division

The Law Division is tasked with oversight of

constitutional law Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary; as well as the basic rights of citizens and, in ...

, government formation processes, ministerial affairs, portfolio distribution, matters concerning freedom of information access to documents, and legislation under the purview of the Prime Minister's Office. Furthermore, it offers legal guidance to aid the operations of other divisions within the office.

Administrative Division

The Administrative Division is charged with overseeing all administrative functions within the Prime Minister's Office. This encompasses

personnel management Human resource management (HRM) is the strategic and coherent approach to the effective and efficient management of people in a company or organization such that they help their business gain a competitive advantage. It is designed to maximize em ...

, budgetary matters, accounting, information technology management, record-keeping, library services, supervision of ministerial officers’ spaces, and management of the office canteen. Additionally, the division carries out various tasks related to ministers, such as handling remuneration and pension matters, as well as duties concerning the

Danish royal family The Danish royal family is the dynastic family of the monarch of Denmark. While some members of the Danish royal family hold the title of ''Prince(ss) of Denmark'', descendants of Margrethe II additionally bear the title '' Count(ess) of Monpe ...

, including budget management,

civil list A civil list is a list of individuals to whom money is paid by the government, typically for service to the state or as honorary pensions. It is a term especially associated with the United Kingdom, and its former colonies and dominions. It was ori ...

annuity administration,

VAT A value-added tax (VAT or goods and services tax (GST), general consumption tax (GCT)) is a consumption tax that is levied on the value added at each stage of a product's production and distribution. VAT is similar to, and is often compared wi ...

refunds, and similar responsibilities. Moreover, the division is involved in matters pertaining to orders and decorations, including the recommendation and processing of decorations.

Principal officials in the Prime Minister's Office

The following individuals constitute the senior departmental team.

References

Citations

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry Of The State Of Denmark

State State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Government ministerial offices of Denmark Ministries established in 1914