MAJOR CABINET RESHUFFLE

UNCLAS COPENHAGEN 000104 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/NB NSC FOR HOVENIER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL DA SUBJECT: MAJOR CABINET RESHUFFLE REF: 09 COPENHAGEN 435 (U) SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR INTERNET. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen announced his new Cabinet February 23. The most extensive reshuffle in recent Danish history, it sets his stamp decisively on the Government, nearly 11 months after he took office without an election when his predecessor became NATO Secretary General. For the first time, women hold the key positions of Defense and Foreign Affairs. Outgoing FM Per Stig Moeller becomes Culture Minister, while outgoing Defense Minister Soeren Gade leaves government altogether. Other notable changes affect the Ministries of Justice, Transport, Science, Health, and Development Cooperation. Complete list at paragraph 6. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) PM Lars Loekke Rasmussen had been expected to reshuffle his Cabinet early this year, to set his stamp on the Government whose leadership he inherited without an election in April 2009 when Anders Fogh Rasmussen left to become NATO Secretary General. The extensive nature of this reshuffle is a decisive response to the chorus of criticism that Loekke is a mere caretaker. The publication (expected February 24) of Denmark's economic Convergence Program will be an opportunity for the PM to set his stamp on policy as he has on the Government. ¶3. (SBU) New Foreign Minister Lene Espersen is the leader of the junior coalition partner, the Conservative People's Party. She was and remains Deputy Prime Minister; she was highly regarded as Economic and Business Affairs Minister. She succeeds her fellow Conservative Per Stig Moeller, who had been at MFA since the Liberal-Conservative coalition took office in November 2001. The 67-year-old Moeller, bereaved by the recent death of his son, moves to the Culture Ministry for which he has an affinity. ¶4. (SBU) New Defense Minister Gitte Lillelund Bech is a strong friend of the United States and this Embassy. An alumna of the German Marshall Fellows, she moves up from chairing the Folketing (parliament)'s Foreign Policy Committee. Gade, one of the most popular ministers, has had to contend with a barrage of criticism over various incidents in his ministry, some of which he had nothing to do with (see reftel),but which apparently eroded confidence in MOD during a time of military engagement. Also, in the past couple of years he has suffered the deaths of his wife and his father. ¶5. (SBU) Other changes of note: Transport Minister Lars Barfoed moves to Justice; Justice Minister Brian Mikkelsen moves to Economic and Business Affairs; Liberal Party foreign policy spokesman Soeren Pind becomes Development Cooperation Minister; Education Minister Bertel Haarder moves to Health and also takes on the Interior portfolio; Hans Christian Schmidt returns to the Cabinet as Transport Minister. Two new ministers are not even members of parliament: Benedikte Kiaer (Social Affairs)and Charlotte Sahl Madsen (Science). Dropped from the Cabinet altogether are: Science Minister Helge Sander, Health Minister Jakob Axel Nielsen, Development Cooperation Minister Ulla Toernaes, and Culture Minister Carina Christensen. ¶6. (U) There follows the complete list of the new Cabinet(format: Name/Party/ Position/Previous Position if applicable): Lars Loekke Rasmussen/Liberal/Prime Minister/no change Lene Espersen/ Conservative/Foreign/ Economic and Business Per Stig Moeller/C/ Culture/Foreign Claus Hjort Frederiksen/L/Finance/no change Brian Mikkelsen/C/Economic and Business/ Justice Lykke Friis/L/Climate and Energy; Gender Equality/Climate and Energy Bertel Haarder/L/Interior; Health/Education; Nordic Cooperation Lars Barfoed/L/Justice/Transport Birthe Roenn Hornbech/L/Refugees, Immigration and Integration; Ecclesiastical/no change Troels Lund Poulsen/L/Taxation/Environment Inger Stoejberg/L/Employment/Employment; Gender Equality Karen Ellemann/L/Environment; Nordic Cooperation/Interior; Social Affairs NEW TO CABINET: Gitte Lillelund Bech/L/Defense/Parliament Foreign Policy Committee Chair Soeren Pind/L/Development Cooperation/Party foreign policy spokesman Hans Christian Schmidt/L/Transport/ Parliament party Group Chair Tina Nedergaard/L/Education/Party finance spokesman Benedikte Kiaer/C/Social Affairs/Copenhagen Regional Council Member Charlotte Sahl Madsen/L (TBC)/Science, Technology and Innovation/Danfoss Universe (R and D park) Henrik Hoegh/L/Food, Agriculture and Fisheries/Member of Parliament OUT: Soeren Gade/L/out/Defense Kristian Jensen/L/out, becomes party Group Chair in Parliament/Taxation Helge Sander/L/out/Science, Technology and Innovation Ulla Toernaes/L /out/Development Cooperation Eva Kjaer Hansen/L/out/Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Carina Christensen/L/out/Culture Jakob Axel Nielsen/L/out/Health and Disease Prevention FULTON