Claus Hjort Frederiksen | |
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| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 28 November 2016 – 27 June 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Lars Løkke Rasmussen |
| Preceded by | Peter Christensen |
| Succeeded by | Trine Bramsen |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 28 June 2015 – 28 November 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | Lars Løkke Rasmussen |
| Preceded by | Bjarne Corydon |
| Succeeded by | Kristian Jensen |
| In office 7 April 2009 – 3 October 2011 | |
| Prime Minister | Lars Løkke Rasmussen |
| Preceded by | Lars Løkke Rasmussen |
| Succeeded by | Bjarne Corydon |
| Minister for Employment | |
| In office 27 November 2001 – 7 April 2009 | |
| Prime Minister | Anders Fogh Rasmussen |
| Preceded by | Ove Hygum |
| Succeeded by | Inger Støjberg |
| Member of theFolketing | |
| In office 8 February 2005 – 1 November 2022 | |
| Constituency | North Zealand (2007–2022) Copenhagen (2005–2007) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1947-09-04)4 September 1947 (age 78) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Political party | Venstre |
| Alma mater | University of Copenhagen |
| Signature |  |
Claus Hjort Frederiksen (born 4 September 1947) is a Danish politician of theVenstre party, who served as theDanishMinister for Defence from 2016 to 2019, and asMinister for Finance from 2015 to 2016, having previously served in that position from 2009 to 2011, as member of thefirst Løkke Rasmussen Cabinet. From 2001 to 2009, he was Minister of Employment in thefirst,second, andthird cabinets ofAnders Fogh Rasmussen.
He is a member of theliberal partyVenstre. He was a member of the Danish ParliamentFolketinget since2005[1] until 2022. Hjort was one of the main strategist behind the strategy shift in Venstre following the defeat in the1998 general election known as the so-called Hjort doctrine (Danish:Hjort-doktrinen).[2][3][4]
He graduated in law fromUniversity of Copenhagen.[5]
Frederiksen served asparty secretary ofVenstre 1985–2001, and as such he served as Fogh Rasmussen's closest advisor in creating the political program that eventually led to Fogh Rasmussen's ascent to the office of Prime Minister. The political program involved a closer relationship and dependency on theDanish People's Party and Frederiksen has notedly remarked that there exists a special community of values between said party andVenstre.[6][7]
Frederiksen was first elected into the Folketing in the 2005 election, and was reelected in the following elections in2007,2011,2015 and2019.[1]
In 2009 radio journalist Jesper Tynell won theCavling Prize for a series of 15 radio spots in DR P1's ”Orientering” showing [the]"minister's less democratic methods". Among the revelations were:
In January 2022, Claus Frederiksen announced he had been charged with violating a section of theDanish penal code which includestreason for leaking state secrets, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.[10] According to his party, Frederiksen was charged with leaking information to the media.[11] Though the specifics of the leaked information is not publicly known, many have speculated it is related to interviews wherein Frederiksen revealed information aboutDanish cooperation with the AmericanNational Security Agency.[12]
On 27 October 2023 theSupreme Court ruled against the prosecution's demand that the charges against Frederiksen were to not be made public.[13] On 1 November 2023 the prosecution dropped their charges against Frederiksen, along with similar charges againstLars Findsen, after a Supreme Court ruling prevented the trial from being carried out without breaching confidentiality of classified information.[14]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister for Employment 2001–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Finance 2009–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Finance 2015–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Defence 2016–2019 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
