List of Prime Ministers of Denmark

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The Prime Minister of Denmark is the head of government of Denmark and leader of the Cabinet; since 1918 they have held the title of "Minister of State" (Danish: statsminister). The Prime Minister is formally appointed by the Monarch, who is head of state.

The highest ranking non-monarchial offices prior to 1848 are regarded as predecessors of the modern office of Prime Minister. There have been several titles used; "King's Chancellor", "Chancellor of the Realm", "Grand Chancellor", "Privy Councillor", "Prime Minister", "Council President" and Minister of State, once again. Each Prime Minister since 1848 has been the leader of one or more cabinets (for a complete list see Cabinet of Denmark).

Denmark's current Prime Minister is Lars Løkke Rasmussen representing the liberal party Venstre. Lars Løkke Rasmussen took office on 28 June 2015, taking over the position from Helle Thorning-Schmidt, representing the social democratic party Socialdemokraterne.

List of Grand Chancellors (1699–1730)

Key: † Died in office

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office
	Conrad von Reventlow (1644–1708)	26 August 1699	21 July 1708 †
	Christian Christophersen Sehested (1666–1740)	1708	1721
	Ulrik Adolf Holstein (1664–1737)	20 June 1721	17 October 1730

List of Privy Councillors (1730–1848)

Key: † Died in office

Privy Councillors (1730–1848) under Christian VI (1730–1746), Frederik V (1746–1766), Christian VII (1766–1808), Frederik VI (1808–1839), Christian VIII (1839–1848)
Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office
	Iver Rosenkrantz (1674–1745)	17 October 1730	12 May 1735
	Johan Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg (1694–1763)	12 May 1735	1751[1]
	Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff (1712–1772)	1751	13 September 1770
	Ove Høegh-Guldberg (1731–1808)	January 1772	1784
	Andreas Peter Bernstorff (1735–1797)	1784	21 June 1797 †
	Christian Günther von Bernstorff (1769–1835)	22 June 1797	1810
	Frederik Moltke (1754–1836)	1810	1814
	Fredrik Julius Kaas (1758–1827)	1814	1814
	Joachim Godske Moltke (1746–1818)	1814	24 August 1818
	Ernst Heinrich von Schimmelmann (1747–1831)	1818	1824
	Otto Joachim Moltke (1770–1853)	1824	1842
	Poul Christian Stemann (1764–1855)	1842	22 March 1848

List of Prime Ministers (1848–1855)

Key: † Died in office

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Party	Election	Government
		Adam Wilhelm Moltke (1785–1864)	22 March 1848	16 November 1848	—	—	Moltke I
			16 November 1848	13 July 1851		1849	Moltke II
			13 July 1851	18 October 1851		—	Moltke III
			18 October 1851	27 January 1852		—	Moltke IV
		Christian Albrecht Bluhme (1794–1866)	27 January 1852	21 April 1853	Højre	1852 Feb.1853	Bluhme I
		Anders Sandøe Ørsted (1778–1860)	21 April 1853	12 December 1854	—	May1853	Ørsted
		Peter Georg Bang (1797–1861)	12 December 1854	12 October 1855	—	1854	Bang

List of Council Presidents (1855–1918)

Political Party:   National Liberal (NL)(3)   Friends of Peasants (BS)(1)   Højre (H)(4)   Venstre (V)(5)   Social Liberal (R)(1)   No party(6)

Key: † Died in office

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Party	Election	Government Composition
		Peter Georg Bang (1797–1861)	12 October 1855	18 October 1856	—	—	Bang
		Carl Christoffer Georg Andræ (1812–1893)	18 October 1856	13 May 1857	—	—	Andræ
		Carl Christian Hall (1812–1888)	13 May 1857	2 December 1859	National Liberal	—	Hall I NL
		Carl Edvard Rotwitt (1812–1860)	2 December 1859	8 February 1860 †[2]	The Society of the Friends of Peasants	—	Rotwitt
		Carl Christian Hall (1812–1888)	24 February 1860	31 December 1863	National Liberal	1861	Hall II NL
Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Party	Election	Government Composition
		Ditlev Gothard Monrad (1811–1887)	31 December 1863	11 July 1864	National Liberal	—	Monrad NL
		Christian Albrecht Bluhme (1794–1866)	11 July 1864	6 November 1865	Højre	1864	Bluhme II H
		Christian Emil Frijs (1817–1896)	6 November 1865	28 May 1870	National Landowners	Jun.1866 Oct.1866 1869	Frijs NG NG-NL from 1866
		Ludvig Holstein-Holsteinborg (1815–1892)	28 May 1870	14 July 1874	Centre	1872 1873	Holstein-Holsteinborg NG-NL
		Christen Andreas Fonnesbech (1817–1880)	14 July 1874	11 June 1875	National Landowners	—	Fonnesbech NG-NL
		Jacob Brønnum Scavenius Estrup (1825–1913)	11 June 1875	7 August 1894	National Landowners; Højre	1876 1879 May1881 Jul.1881 1884 1887 1890 1892	Estrup NG H
		Tage Reedtz-Thott (1839–1923)	7 August 1894	23 May 1897	Højre	1895	Reedz-Thott H
		Hugo Egmont Hørring (1842–1909)	23 May 1897	27 April 1900	Højre	1898	Hørring H
		Hannibal Sehested (1842–1924)	27 April 1900	24 July 1901	Højre	—	Sehested H
		Johan Henrik Deuntzer (1845–1918)	24 July 1901	14 January 1905	Venstre Reform Party	1901 1903	Deuntzer V
		Jens Christian Christensen (1856–1930)	14 January 1905	24 July 1908	Venstre Reform Party	1906	Christensen I V
			24 July 1908	12 October 1908		—	Christensen II V
Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Party	Election	Government Composition
		Niels Neergaard (1854–1936)	12 October 1908	16 August 1909	Venstre Reform Party	—	Neergaard I V
		Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg (1839–1912)	16 August 1909	28 October 1909	Venstre Reform Party	1909	Holstein-Ledreborg V
		Carl Theodor Zahle (1866–1946)	28 October 1909	5 July 1910	Danish Social Liberal Party	—	Zahle I R
		Klaus Berntsen (1844–1927)	5 July 1910	21 June 1913	Venstre	1910	Berntsen V
Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Party	Election	Government Composition
		Carl Theodor Zahle (1866–1946)	21 June 1913	20 April 1918	Danish Social Liberal Party	1913 1915	Zahle II R

List of Ministers of State (1918–present)

Political Party:   Social Liberal (R)   Venstre (V)   Social Democrat (S)   Conservative (K)   No party

Key: † Died in office

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Party	Election	Government Composition
		Carl Theodor Zahle (1866–1946)	21 April 1918	30 March 1920	Danish Social Liberal Party	1918	Zahle II R
		Otto Liebe (1860–1929)	30 March 1920	5 April 1920	—	—	Liebe Caretaker Government
		Michael Pedersen Friis (1857–1944)	5 April 1920	5 May 1920	—		Friis Caretaker Government
		Niels Neergaard (1854–1936)	5 May 1920	9 October 1922	Venstre	Apr.1920 Jul.1920 Sep.1920	Neergaard II V
			9 October 1922	23 April 1924		—	Neergaard III V
		Thorvald Stauning (1873–1942)	23 April 1924	14 December 1926	Social Democrat	1924	Stauning I S
		Thomas Madsen-Mygdal (1876–1943)	14 December 1926	30 April 1929	Venstre	1926	Madsen-Mygdal V
		Thorvald Stauning (1873–1942)	30 April 1929	4 November 1935	Social Democrat	1929 1932	Stauning II S-R
			4 November 1935	15 September 1939		1935	Stauning III S-R
			15 September 1939	10 April 1940		1939	Stauning IV S-R
			10 April 1940	8 July 1940		—	Stauning V Unity Government
			8 July 1940	3 May 1942 †[3]			Stauning VI Unity Government
		Vilhelm Buhl (1881–1954)	4 May 1942	9 November 1942	Social Democrat	—	Buhl I Unity Government
		Erik Scavenius (1877–1962)	9 November 1942	29 August 1943[4]	—	1943	Scavenius Unity Government
No Danish government (29 August 1943[4] – 5 May 1945). Office is assumed by the permanent secretary.
		Vilhelm Buhl (1881–1954)	5 May 1945	7 November 1945	Social Democrat	—	Buhl II Unity Government
		Knud Kristensen (1880–1962)	7 November 1945	13 November 1947	Venstre	1945	Kristensen V
Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Party	Election	Government Composition
		Hans Hedtoft (1903–1955)	13 November 1947	30 October 1950	Social Democrat	1947	Hedtoft I S
		Erik Eriksen (1902–1972)	30 October 1950	30 September 1953	Venstre	1950 Apr.1953	Eriksen V-K
		Hans Hedtoft (1903–1955)	30 September 1953	29 January 1955 †[5]	Social Democrat	Sep.1953	Hedtoft II S
		Hans Christian Hansen (1906–1960)	1 February 1955	28 May 1957	Social Democrat	—	Hansen I S
			28 May 1957	19 February 1960 †[6]		1957	Hansen II S-R-E
		Viggo Kampmann (1910–1976)	21 February 1960	18 November 1960	Social Democrat	—	Kampmann I S-R-E
			18 November 1960	3 September 1962		1960	Kampmann II S-R
		Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978)	3 September 1962	29 September 1964	Social Democrat	—	Krag I S-R
			29 September 1964	2 February 1968		1964	Krag II S
		Hilmar Baunsgaard (1920–1989)	2 February 1968	11 October 1971	Danish Social Liberal Party	1968	Baunsgard R-K-V
		Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978)	11 October 1971	5 October 1972	Social Democrat	1971	Krag III S
Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Party	Election	Government Composition
		Anker Jørgensen (1922–2016)	5 October 1972	19 December 1973	Social Democrat	—	Jørgensen I S
		Poul Hartling (1914–2000)	17 December 1973	13 February 1975	Venstre	1973	Hartling V
		Anker Jørgensen (1922–2016)	13 February 1975	30 August 1978	Social Democrat	1975	Jørgensen II S-V
			30 August 1978	26 October 1979		1977	Jørgensen III S-V
			26 October 1979	30 December 1981		1979	Jørgensen IV S
			30 December 1981	10 September 1982		1981	Jørgensen V S
		Poul Schlüter (1929–)	10 September 1982	10 September 1987	Conservative	1984	Schlüter I K-V-CD-KD
			10 September 1987	3 June 1988		1987	Schlüter II K-V-CD-KD
			3 June 1988	18 December 1990		1988	Schlüter III K-V-R
			18 December 1990	25 January 1993		1990	Schlüter IV K-V
		Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (1943–)	25 January 1993	27 September 1994	Social Democrat	—	P.N. Rasmussen I S-CD-R-KD
			27 September 1994	30 December 1996		1994	P.N. Rasmussen II S-R-CD
			30 December 1996	23 March 1998		—	P.N. Rasmussen III S-R
			23 March 1998	27 November 2001		1998	P.N. Rasmussen IV S-R
		Anders Fogh Rasmussen (1953–)	27 November 2001	18 February 2005	Venstre	2001	A.F. Rasmussen I V-K
			18 February 2005	23 November 2007		2005	A.F. Rasmussen II V-K
			23 November 2007	5 April 2009		2007	A.F. Rasmussen III V-K
		Lars Løkke Rasmussen (1964–)	5 April 2009	3 October 2011	Venstre	—	L.L. Rasmussen I V-K
		Helle Thorning-Schmidt (1966–)	3 October 2011	3 February 2014	Social Democrat	2011	Thorning-Schmidt I S-R-SF
			3 February 2014	28 June 2015		—	Thorning-Schmidt II S-R
		Lars Løkke Rasmussen (1964–)	28 June 2015	28 November 2016	Venstre	2015	L.L. Rasmussen II V
			28 November 2016	Incumbent		—	L.L. Rasmussen III V-I-K

Timeline (1848–present)

This is a graphical lifespan timeline of Prime Ministers of Denmark. The prime ministers are listed in order of office.

Notes

1. ↑ Different authorities provide contradictory accounts as to whether the period of Ludvig's occupation of the office in fact overlapped with that of his successor.
2. ↑ Carl Edvard Rotwitt died in office. Carl Frederik Blixen-Finecke was Acting Prime Minister 8 February 1860 – 24 February 1860.
3. ↑ Thorvald Stauning died in office. His successor was appointed the following day.
4. 1 2 On 29 August 1943, the Danish government resigned, refusing to grant further concessions to Nazi Germany. All government operations were assumed by the permanent secretaries of the individual departments, and this arrangement lasted until the Liberation of Denmark on 5 May 1945. Since King Christian X never accepted the resignation of the government, it existed de jure until a new cabinet was formed on 5 May 1945.
5. ↑ Hans Hedtoft died in office. His successor was appointed three days later.
6. ↑ Hans Christian Hansen died in office. His successor was appointed two days later.

See also

• Politics of Denmark
• History of Denmark
• List of Danish monarchs
• Lists of incumbents
• Prime Minister of Norway
• Prime Minister of Sweden
• Prime Minister of Finland

References

• List of Danish heads of government from the Prime Ministers Office
• A similar list from the Danish Foreign Ministry, including the PM's party tag
• Lists of Danish governments since 1848
• World Statesmen: Denmark (lists all Danish ruling monarchs from 899 on, and non-monarchial heads of government from 1699 on).