Anders Fogh Rasmussen

On January 26, 1953, Andersford Grassmussen was born on a farm in Generup, Jutland Peninsula. In 1969, at the age of only 16, Rasmussen came to Viborg Cathedral College to study language and social sciences. His interest and abilities in these two disciplines laid the foundation for his subsequent career in politics. In 1970, Rasmussen joined the Danish Liberal Party Youth League and served as its chairman from 1974 to 1976. After graduating from Aarhus University in 1978 with a master's degree in economics, he entered the Danish Parliament and served as a member of the parliamentary finance committee and spokesperson for the Liberal Party's housing and fiscal policies. Afterwards, he held important positions in the Liberal Party and multiple coalition governments. Since the age of 32, Rasmussen has served as the Vice Chairman of the Liberal Party. After 13 years as Vice Chairman, he was elected as the Chairman of the Liberal Party in 1998. Under his leadership, the Liberal Party, which had been in opposition for many years, carried out radical reforms, and a series of measures to reshape the party's image and adjust policy proposals received widespread support. The public support rate continued to rise, and finally, together with the Danish Conservative Party, they won the general election in November 2001. They won two consecutive elections in February 2005 and November 2007 and were re elected. As soon as he took office, Rasmussen discovered that Denmark, as seen by outsiders as a fairy tale kingdom, was actually in trouble. Firstly, the welfare problems in Denmark are becoming increasingly severe, and the enormous pressure on healthcare and elderly care has made the government overwhelmed; The second is that the immigration policy implemented by the previous government is filled with complaints; Thirdly, although Denmark has joined the European Union, it still appears somewhat out of place compared to other countries in terms of EU integration and the use of the euro. Rasmussen has launched a series of reform measures in various economic and political aspects, and has created a new national image for Denmark within the EU and even on the international stage. Before Rasmussen's third re-election in November 2007, Denmark had maintained a high economic growth rate for many consecutive years, while the unemployment rate had also dropped to its lowest point in many years. Its relations with the European Union and major countries around the world were also more harmonious than before, including announcing the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership with China in October 2008, which laid a very good platform for the two countries to continue deepening cooperation. It is also worth mentioning that in early 2006, Danish newspapers caused tension between the West and the Islamic world due to the publication of Muhammad comics. However, Rasmussen remained calm in the face of danger. While emphasizing his disagreement with the publication of similar comic works, he also publicly expressed the importance of freedom of speech, and his calm performance was widely praised by Western public opinion. Rasmussen arrived at NATO headquarters in Brussels on August 3, 2009, beginning his four-year term. At that time, the emotions of Danes regarding the departure of this Prime Minister were mixed. On the one hand, the position of Secretary General was crucial within NATO, and Rasmussen's appointment to this position would undoubtedly enhance the international reputation of Denmark, a small Nordic country. Therefore, many Danes were very proud of this; On the other hand, Rasmussen has been the Danish Prime Minister for three times since November 2001, with a very high reputation among the public, so many people are reluctant to part with Rasmussen's high reputation. Rasmussen was born in the 20th century