Karen Ellemann Kloch, formerly Karen Ellemann Karabian, (born 26 August 1969) is a Danish politician, who serves as the current Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers. She was previously a member of the Folketing for the Venstre political party. She is a former minister, having held the positions of Minister of Fisheries, Equality and Nordic Cooperation, Minister of the Environment and Minister of the Interior and Social Affairs.

Karen Ellemann
Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers
Assumed office
1 January 2023
Preceded byPaula Lehtomäki
Member of the Folketing
In office
13 November 2007 – 1 November 2022
ConstituencyGreater Copenhagen
Minister of Gender Equality and Nordic Cooperation
Fisheries from 2017
In office
28 November 2016 – 2 May 2018
Prime MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen
Minister of Interior and Social Affairs
In office
28 June 2015 – 28 November 2016
Prime MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen
Minister of Environment and Nordic Cooperation
In office
23 February 2010 – 3 October 2011
Prime MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen
Minister of Interior and Social Affairs
In office
7 April 2009 – 23 February 2010
Prime MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen
Personal details
Born (1969-08-26) 26 August 1969 (age 55)
Charlottenlund, Denmark
Political partyVenstre
Spouses
Aren Boje Kharabian
(divorced)
Kresten Kloch
(m. 2011)
Children2
Parent
RelativesJakob Ellemann-Jensen (brother)

Ellemann is the daughter of former Foreign Minister, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen. She has a background as a teacher.[citation needed] She is married and has two children.[1]

Political career

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Ellemann was elected in the municipal council of Rudersdal Municipality at the 2005 Danish local elections. It was the first time she ran for a political office and became one of the most voted-for politicians in the municipality, receiving 1,502 votes. She ran with an agenda focused on children and healthcare.[2][3][4]

Following the 2007 Danish general election Ellemann was elected into parliament. She received 13,513 votes, which gave her a direct seat in the Greater Copenhagen constituency. She was appointed Minister of Interior and Social Affairs in the Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet, starting 7 April 2009. On 23 February 2010 there was a cabinet reshuffle, which resulted in Ellemann becoming the new Minister for Environment and Nordic Cooperation. At the time she had not been involved in environmental politics, which was commented on by the Danish Society for Nature Conservation and the opposition parties. They were worried that she would be unable to stand up to the new Minister of Agriculture Henrik Høegh.[5][6]

She was reelected at the 2011 Danish general election, receiving 8,476 votes. This was the second-most votes received by a Venstre-politician in the municipality, with only Søren Pind receiving more votes with 15,101. She was elected again in the 2015 election with 7,020 votes. After the election Venstre had majority support in the Folketing, and Lars Løkke Rasmussen became the prime minister again. In his cabinet Ellemann was appointed Minister of the Interior and Social Affairs. She held this position until 28 November 2016, where Venstre went into a coalition government with Liberal Alliance and Conservative People's Party in the Lars Løkke Rasmussen III Cabinet. She became Minister for Gender Equality and Nordic Cooperation. 7 August 2017 she also became the Minister for Fisheries after a scandal involving the former Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Esben Lunde Larsen forced him to resign that part of his ministry. On 2 May 2018 Ellemann left the government to become the leader of Venstre's parliamentary group. She was the first woman holding that position.[7][8] [9] [10][11]

Ellemann was reelected in the 2019 Danish general election, receiving 8,238 votes.[12] In 2023, she became the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Ft.dk "Karen Ellemann" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  2. ^ Kmdvalg.dk "Rudersdal Sammenlægningsudvalg" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  3. ^ Sn.dk "Ellemans datter stemmesluger i Rudersdal" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  4. ^ Denstoredanske.lex.dk "Karen Ellemann" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  5. ^ Altinget.dk "De sendte en dame – med jagttegn" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  6. ^ Oim.dk "Folketingsvalget den 13. november 2007" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  7. ^ Dst.dk "Valgte kandidater og stedfortrædere, Folketingsvalg torsdag 15. september 2011" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  8. ^ Dst.dk "Valgte kandidater og stedfortrædere, Folketingsvalg torsdag 18. juni 2015" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  9. ^ Altinget.dk "Esben Lunde stopper som fiskeriminister" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  10. ^ Dr.dk "Karen Ellemann stopper som minister: Løkke vil have hende som gruppeformand" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  11. ^ Jyllands-posten.dk "Karen Ellemann bliver Venstres første kvindelige gruppeformand" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  12. ^ Dst.dk "Valgte kandidater og stedfortrædere, Folketingsvalg onsdag 5. juni 2019" Retrieved 3 February 2021
  13. ^ "Karen Ellemann - resume | Nordic cooperation". www.norden.org. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister of the Interior
2009–2010
Succeeded by
Preceded by Ministry of Social Affairs
2009–2010
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for the Environment
2010–2011
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Nordic Cooperation
2010–2011
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Social Affairs
2015–2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of the Interior
2015–2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Gender Equality
2016–2018
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Nordic Cooperation
2016–2018
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Fisheries
2016–2018
Succeeded by
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