Cabinet of Denmark

Last updated
Government of the Kingdom of Denmark
National coat of arms of Denmark.svg
Lesser coat of arms of Denmark
Overview
Established5 June 1848;177 years ago (1848-06-05)
State Kingdom of Denmark
Leader Prime Minister (Statsminister)
Appointed byThe Monarch
Main organ Prime Minister's Office
Ministries List
Responsible to Folketing
Headquarters Slotsholmen, Copenhagen
Website www.regeringen.dk

The Cabinet of Denmark (Danish : regering), officially the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark (Danish : Kongeriget Danmarks regering), [1] is the national cabinet of the Kingdom of Denmark. It has been the chief executive body and the government of the Danish Realm—Denmark proper together with the Faroe Islands and Greenland — since the ratification of the Constitution of Denmark in 1848.

Contents

The Cabinet is led by the Prime Minister. There are around 25 members of the Cabinet, known as "ministers", all of whom are also heads of specific government ministries. The Cabinet has usually been composed of Ministers from two or more parties forming a coalition government. Still, most of these governments have been minority governments, relying on the support of still other parties. [2]

Cabinets are formally appointed by the Monarch. [3] In practice, once a government has stepped down, there is a fixed set of rules for appointing an investigator (most often the future Prime Minister), with the job of trying to form a new government. The Prime Minister will lead the Cabinet by convention. Cabinets are named after the Prime Minister, although they may gain shorthand names (e.g. "VK Cabinet", for the recent Venstre–Conservative cabinet).

As of 15 December 2022, the Prime Minister is Mette Frederiksen, leading a coalition government led by the Social Democratic Party with Venstre and the Moderates. [4] It relies on parliamentary support from the Faroe Islands-based and Greelandic parties.

List of Cabinets

Below is a list of all Cabinets since 1848.

No.CabinetFromToTime in officePartiesSupporting parties [note 1] Popular name
1 Moltke I Cabinet 22 March 184816 November 1848239 daysMinisters outside the parties
National Venstre
Bondevennerne 		March Cabinet
2 Moltke II Cabinet 16 November 184813 July 18512 years, 239 daysMinisters outside the parties
National Venstre 		November Cabinet
3 Moltke III Cabinet  [ da ]13 July 185118 October 185197 days—July Cabinet
4 Moltke IV Cabinet  [ da ]18 October 185127 January 1852101 days—October Cabinet
5 Bluhme I Cabinet  [ da ]27 January 185221 April 18531 year, 84 days—January Cabinet
6 Ørsted Cabinet  [ da ]21 April 185312 December 18541 year, 235 days——
7 Bang Cabinet  [ da ]12 December 185418 October 18561 year, 311 days——
8 Andræ Cabinet  [ da ]18 October 185613 May 1857207 days——
9 Hall I Cabinet  [ da ]13 May 18572 December 18592 years, 203 days——
10 Rotwitt Cabinet  [ da ]2 December 185924 February 186084 days——
11 Hall II Cabinet  [ da ]24 February 186031 December 18633 years, 310 days——
12 Monrad Cabinet 31 December 186311 July 1864193 days——
13 Bluhme II Cabinet  [ da ]11 July 18646 November 18651 year, 118 days——
14 Frijs Cabinet 6 November 186528 May 18704 years, 203 days——
15 Holstein-Holsteinborg Cabinet  [ da ]28 May 187014 July 18744 years, 50 days——
16 Fonnesbech Cabinet  [ da ]14 July 187411 June 1875329 days——
17 Estrup Cabinet 11 June 18757 August 189419 years, 57 days Højre —
18 Reedtz-Thott Cabinet 7 August 189423 May 18972 years, 289 days Højre —
19 Hørring Cabinet 23 May 189727 April 19002 years, 339 days Højre —
20 Sehested Cabinet 27 April 190024 July 19011 year, 88 days Højre —
21 Deuntzer Cabinet 24 July 190114 January 19053 years, 174 days Venstre —
22 Christensen I Cabinet  [ da ]14 January 190524 July 19083 years, 192 days Venstre —
23 Christensen II Cabinet 24 July 190812 October 190880 days Venstre —
24 Neergaard I Cabinet  [ da ]12 October 190816 August 1909308 days Venstre —
25 Holstein-Ledreborg Cabinet  [ da ]16 August 190928 October 190973 days Venstre —
26 Zahle I Cabinet  [ da ]28 October 19095 July 1910250 days Danish Social Liberal Party Social Democrats —
27 Berntsen Cabinet  [ da ]5 July 191021 June 19132 years, 351 days Venstre —
28 Zahle II Cabinet 21 June 191330 March 19206 years, 283 days Danish Social Liberal Party Social Democrats —
29 Liebe Cabinet 30 March 19205 April 19206 daysCaretaker cabinet—
30 Friis Cabinet 5 April 19205 May 192030 daysCaretaker cabinet—
31 Neergaard II Cabinet  [ da ]5 May 19209 October 19222 years, 157 days Venstre —
32 Neergaard III Cabinet  [ da ]9 October 192223 April 19241 year, 197 days Venstre —
33 Stauning I Cabinet 23 April 192414 December 19262 years, 235 days Social Democrats —
34 Madsen-Mygdal Cabinet  [ da ]14 December 192630 April 19292 years, 137 days Venstre Conservative People's Party —
35 Stauning II Cabinet 30 April 19294 November 19356 years, 188 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party 		Cabinet of Stauning-Munch
36 Stauning III Cabinet 4 November 193515 September 19393 years, 315 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party 		—
37 Stauning IV Cabinet  [ da ]15 September 193910 April 1940208 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party 		—
38 Stauning V Cabinet  [ da ]10 April 19408 July 194089 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party 		—
39 Stauning VI Cabinet 8 July 19404 May 19421 year, 300 daysUnity government—
40 Buhl I Cabinet 4 May 19429 November 1942189 daysUnity government—
41 Scavenius Cabinet 9 November 19425 May 19452 years, 177 daysUnity government—
42 Buhl II Cabinet 5 May 19457 November 1945186 daysUnity governmentLiberation Cabinet
43 Kristensen Cabinet 7 November 194513 November 19472 years, 6 days Venstre The Conservative People's Party —
44 Hedtoft I Cabinet  [ da ]13 November 194716 September 19502 years, 307 days Social Democrats —
45 Hedtoft II Cabinet  [ da ]16 September 195030 October 195044 days Social Democrats —
46 Eriksen Cabinet  [ da ]30 October 195030 September 19532 years, 335 days Venstre
Conservative People's Party 		—
47 Hedtoft III Cabinet  [ da ]30 September 19531 February 19551 year, 124 days Social Democrats —
48 Hansen I Cabinet  [ da ]1 February 195528 May 19572 years, 116 days Social Democrats —
49 Hansen II Cabinet  [ da ]28 May 195721 February 19602 years, 269 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party
Justice Party 		Triangle Cabinet (Trekantregeringen)
50 Kampmann I Cabinet  [ da ]21 February 196018 November 1960271 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party
Justice Party 		—
51 Kampmann II Cabinet  [ da ]18 November 19603 September 19621 year, 289 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party 		—
52 Krag I Cabinet  [ da ]3 September 196229 September 19642 years, 26 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party 		—
53 Krag II Cabinet  [ da ]29 September 19642 February 19683 years, 126 days Social Democrats —
54 Baunsgaard Cabinet  [ da ]2 February 196811 October 19713 years, 251 days Danish Social Liberal Party
Conservative People's Party
Venstre 		VKR Cabinet
55 Krag III Cabinet  [ da ]11 October 19715 October 1972360 days Social Democrats Green Left —
56 Jørgensen I Cabinet  [ da ]5 October 197219 December 19731 year, 75 days Social Democrats Green Left —
57 Hartling Cabinet 19 December 197313 February 19751 year, 56 days Venstre The Conservative People's Party The narrow Venstre Cabinet (den smalle Venstre-regering)
58 Jørgensen II Cabinet  [ da ]13 February 197530 August 19783 years, 198 days Social Democrats Green Left —
59 Jørgensen III Cabinet  [ da ]30 August 197826 October 19791 year, 57 days Social Democrats
Venstre 		SV Cabinet
60 Jørgensen IV Cabinet  [ da ]26 October 197930 December 19812 years, 65 days Social Democrats Green Left —
61 Jørgensen V Cabinet  [ da ]30 December 198110 September 1982254 days Social Democrats —
62 Schlüter I Cabinet [note 2] 10 September 19828 September 19873 years, 240 days Conservative People's Party
Venstre
Centre Democrats
Christian Democrats 		Four-leaf clover Cabinet (Firkløverregeringen)
63 Schlüter II Cabinet  [ da ]10 September 19873 March 1988175 days Conservative People's Party
Venstre
Centre Democrats
Christian Democrats 		—
64 Schlüter III Cabinet  [ da ]2 June 198811 December 19902 years, 192 days Conservative People's Party
Venstre
Danish Social Liberal Party 		KVR Cabinet
65 Schlüter IV Cabinet  [ da ]17 December 199023 January 19932 years, 37 days Conservative People's Party
Venstre 		KV Cabinet
66 P.N. Rasmussen I Cabinet 25 January 199327 September 19941 year, 245 days Social Democrats
Centre Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party
Christian Democrats 		Green Left Red clover Cabinet (Rødkløverregeringen)
67 P.N. Rasmussen II Cabinet 27 September 199430 December 19962 years, 94 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party
Centre Democrats 		Green Left—
68 P.N. Rasmussen III Cabinet 30 December 199623 March 19981 year, 83 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party 		Red-Green Alliance, Green Left SR Cabinet
69 P.N. Rasmussen IV Cabinet 23 March 199827 November 20013 years, 249 days Social Democrats
Danish Social Liberal Party 		Green Left SR Cabinet
70 A.F. Rasmussen I Cabinet 27 November 200118 February 20053 years, 83 days Venstre
Conservative People's Party 		Danish People's Party VK Cabinet
71 A.F. Rasmussen II Cabinet 18 February 200523 November 20072 years, 278 days Venstre
Conservative People's Party 		Danish People's Party VK Cabinet
72 A.F. Rasmussen III Cabinet 23 November 20075 April 20091 year, 133 days Venstre
Conservative People's Party 		Danish People's Party VK Cabinet
73 L.L. Rasmussen I Cabinet 5 April 20093 October 20112 years, 181 days Venstre
Conservative People's Party 		Danish People's Party VK Cabinet
74 Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet 3 October 20113 February 20142 years, 123 days Social Democrats,Social Liberal Party, Green Left Red-Green Alliance SRSF Cabinet
75 Thorning-Schmidt II Cabinet 3 February 201428 June 20151 year, 145 days Social Democrats
Social Liberal Party 		Red-Green Alliance SR Cabinet
76 L.L. Rasmussen II Cabinet 28 June 201528 November 20161 year, 153 days Venstre Danish people's Party, Liberal Alliance, Conservative People's Party V Cabinet
77 L.L. Rasmussen III Cabinet 28 November 201627 June 20192 years, 211 days Venstre
Liberal Alliance
Conservative People's Party 		Danish People's Party VLAK Cabinet, Shamrock Cabinet
78 Frederiksen I Cabinet 27 June 201915 December 20223 years, 171 days Social Democrats Social Liberal Party, Green Left, Red-Green Alliance S Cabinet
79 Frederiksen II Cabinet 15 December 2022Incumbent3 years, 60 days Social Democrats
Venstre
Moderates 		SVM Cabinet

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Excluding Greenlandic and Faroese parties.
  2. ↑ Officially the first Schlüter cabinet lasted until 1987. [5] However, the cabinet is sometimes split [6] [7] by different political scholars as they generally agree that a general election marks the end of a cabinet. [8]

References

  1. ↑ Kraft., Ole Bjørn (1951-06-20), Bekendtgørelse om den i København den 27. april 1951 undertegnede overenskomst i henhold til Den nordatlantiske Traktat mellem Regeringerne i Kongeriget Danmark og Amerikas Forenede Stater om forsvaret af Grønland., Udenrigsministeriet, retrieved 2024-09-11
  2. ↑ https://ugeavisen.dk/indland/flertalsregeringer-i-danmark
  3. ↑ "Section 14". Constitution of Denmark. ICL. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "Danish Social Democrats agree new government with right-wing opposition". Reuters. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  5. ↑ "Regeringen Poul Schlüter I". Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  6. ↑ "Denmark: Schlüter I". Party Systems and Governments Observatory. University of Nottingham . Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "Denmark: Schlüter II". Party Systems and Governments Observatory. University of Nottingham . Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  8. ↑ Ludger Helms; Michelangelo Vercesi (19 July 2022). "Cabinet Reshuffles in Parliamentary Democracies: A Typology and Framework for Comparative Analysis". Government & Opposition (59): 1161–1182. doi:10.1017/gov.2022.22 . Retrieved 19 June 2025. Most scholars agree that a cabinet terminates when: (1) a general election occurs; (2) the prime minister changes; (3) and/or if the party complexion of the cabinet changes; and some scholars consider (4) government resignations as another criterion.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.