| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
|---|---|
| Udenrigsminister (Danish) | |
| | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
| Type | Minister |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | the prime minister |
| Seat | Slotsholmen |
| Appointer | The Monarch (on the advice of the prime minister) |
| Formation | 22 March 1848 |
| First holder | Frederik Marcus Knuth |
| Succession | depending on the order in the State Council |
| Deputy | Permanent Secretary |
| Salary | 1.723.195,01 DKK (€231,171), in 2025 [1] |
| Website | Official website |
The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Danish : Udenrigsminister, Faroese : Uttanríkisráðharra, Greenlandic : Nunanut Allanut Ministeri) is the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The officeholder is in charge of Danish (Denmark proper, [a] the Faroe Islands and Greenland) foreign policy and international relations.
The current Minister for Foreign Affairs is former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. [3]
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Political party | Government | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 | | Frederik Marcus Knuth (1813–1856) | 22 March 1848 | 16 November 1848 | 239 days | Independent | Moltke I | [4] | |
| 2 | | Adam Wilhelm Moltke (1785–1864) | 16 November 1848 | 6 August 1850 | 1 year, 263 days | Independent | Moltke II | [5] | |
| 3 | | Holger Christian Reedtz (1800–1857) | 6 August 1850 | 18 October 1851 | 1 year, 73 days | Independent | Moltke II–III | [5] [6] | |
| 4 | | Christian Albrecht Bluhme (1794–1866) | 18 October 1851 | 12 December 1854 | 3 years, 55 days | Independent | Moltke IV Bluhme I Ørsted | [7] [8] [9] | |
| 5 | | Wulff Scheel-Plessen (1809–1876) | 12 December 1854 | 15 January 1855 | 34 days | Independent | Bang | [10] | |
| 6 | | Ludvig Nicolaus von Scheele (1796–1874) | 15 January 1855 | 13 Maj 1857 | 2 years, 118 days | Independent | Bang Andræ | [10] [11] | |
| 7 | | Ove Wilhelm Michelsen (1800–1880) | 13 Maj 1857 | 10 July 1858 | 1 year, 84 days | Independent | Hall I | [12] | |
| 8 | | Carl Christian Hall (1812–1888) | 10 July 1858 | 2 December 1859 | 1 year, 145 days | National Liberal | Hall I | [12] | |
| 9 | | Carl Frederik Blixen-Finecke (1822–1873) | 2 December 1859 | 24 February 1860 | 84 days | Independent | Rotwitt | [13] | |
| (8) | | Carl Christian Hall (1812–1888) | 24 February 1860 | 31 December 1863 | 3 years, 310 days | National Liberal | Hall II | [14] | |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Political party | Government | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 10 | | Ditlev Gothard Monrad (1811–1887) | 31 December 1863 | 8 January 1864 | 1 year, 263 days | National Liberal | Monrad | [15] | |
| 11 | | George Quaade (1813–1889) | 8 January 1864 | 11 July 1864 | 185 days | Independent | Monrad | [15] | |
| (4) | | Christian Albrecht Bluhme (1794–1866) | 11 July 1864 | 6 November 1865 | 1 year, 118 days | Independent | Bluhme II | [16] | |
| 12 | | Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs (1817–1896) | 6 November 1865 | 28 May 1870 | 4 years, 203 days | National Landowners | Frijs | [17] | |
| 13 | | Otto Rosenørn-Lehn (1821–1892) | 28 May 1870 | 11 June 1875 | 5 years, 14 days | National Landowners | Holstein-Holsteinborg Fonnesbech | [18] [19] | |
| 14 | | Frederik Moltke (1825–1875) | 11 June 1875 | 1 October 1875 # | 112 days | National Landowners | Estrup | [20] | |
| (13) | | Otto Rosenørn-Lehn (1821–1892) | 10 November 1875 | 21 May 1892 | 16 years, 193 days | National Landowners | Estrup | [20] | |
| 15 | | Tage Reedtz-Thott (1839–1923) | 21 May 1892 | 23 May 1897 | 5 years, 2 days | Højre | Estrup Reedtz-Thott | [20] [21] | |
| 16 | | Niels Frederik Ravn (1826–1910) | 23 May 1897 | 27 April 1900 | 2 years, 339 days | Højre | Hørring | [22] | |
| 17 | | Hannibal Sehested (1842–1924) | 27 April 1900 | 24 July 1901 | 1 year, 88 days | Højre | Sehested | [23] | |
| 18 | | Johan Henrik Deuntzer (1845–1918) | 24 July 1901 | 14 January 1905 | 3 years, 174 days | Venstre Reform Party | Deuntzer | [24] | |
| 19 | | Frederik Raben-Levetzau (1850–1933) | 14 January 1905 | 12 October 1908 | 3 years, 272 days | Venstre Reform Party | Christensen I–II | [25] [26] | |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Political party | Government | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 20 | | William Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (1860–1923) | 12 October 1908 | 28 October 1909 | 1 year, 16 days | Venstre Reform Party | Neergaard I Holstein-Ledreborg | [27] [28] | |
| 21 | | Erik Scavenius (1877–1962) | 28 October 1909 | 5 July 1910 | 250 days | Social Liberal | Zahle I | [29] | |
| (20) | | William Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (1860–1923) | 5 July 1910 | 21 June 1913 | 2 years, 351 days | Venstre | Berntsen | [30] | |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Political party | Government | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| – | | Edvard Brandes (1847–1931) acting | 21 June 1913 | 24 June 1913 | 3 days | Social Liberal | Zahle II | [31] | |
| (21) | | Erik Scavenius (1877–1962) | 24 June 1913 | 30 March 1920 | 6 years, 280 days | Social Liberal | Zahle II | [31] | |
| 22 | | Henri Konow (1862–1939) | 30 March 1920 | 5 April 1920 | 6 days | Independent | Liebe | [32] | |
| 23 | | Otto Scavenius (1875–1945) | 5 April 1920 | 5 May 1920 | 30 days | Independent | Friis | [33] | |
| 24 | | Harald Scavenius (1873–1939) | 5 May 1920 | 9 October 1922 | 2 years, 157 days | Independent | Neergaard II | [34] | |
| 25 | | Christian Cold (1863–1934) | 9 October 1922 | 23 April 1924 | 1 year, 197 days | Independent | Neergaard III | [35] | |
| 26 | | Carl Moltke (1869–1935) | 23 April 1924 | 14 December 1926 | 2 years, 235 days | Independent | Stauning I | [36] | |
| 27 | | Laust Jevsen Moltesen (1865–1950) | 14 December 1926 | 30 April 1929 | 2 years, 137 days | Venstre | Madsen-Mygdal | [37] | |
| 28 | | Peter Rochegune Munch (1870–1948) | 30 April 1929 | 8 July 1940 | 11 years, 69 days | Social Liberal | Stauning II–III–IV–V | [38] [39] [40] [41] | |
| (21) | | Erik Scavenius (1877–1962) | 8 July 1940 | 29 August 1943 | 3 years, 52 days | Independent | Stauning VI Buhl I Scavenius | [42] [43] [44] | |
| No Danish government in between August 29, 1943 and May 5, 1945. Office is assumed by the permanent secretary. [b] | |||||||||
| – | | Vilhelm Buhl (1881–1954) acting | 5 May 1945 | 7 May 1945 | 2 days | Social Democrats | Buhl II | [45] | |
| 29 | | John Christmas Møller (1894–1948) | 7 May 1945 | 7 November 1945 | 184 days | Conservative | Buhl II | [45] | |
| 30 | | Gustav Rasmussen (1895–1953) | 7 November 1945 | 30 October 1950 | 4 years, 357 days | Independent | Kristensen Hedtoft I–II | [46] [47] [48] | |
| Social Democrats | |||||||||
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Political party | Government | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 31 | | Ole Bjørn Kraft (1893–1980) | 30 October 1950 | 30 September 1953 | 2 years, 335 days | Conservative | Eriksen | [49] | |
| 32 | | Hans Christian Hansen (1906–1960) | 30 September 1953 | 8 October 1958 | 5 years, 8 days | Social Democrats | Hedtoft III Hansen I–II | [50] [51] [52] | |
| 33 | | Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978) | 8 October 1958 | 3 September 1962 | 3 years, 330 days | Social Democrats | Hansen II Kampmann I–II | [52] [53] [54] | |
| 34 | | Per Hækkerup (1915–1979) | 3 September 1962 | 28 November 1966 | 4 years, 86 days | Social Democrats | Krag I–II | [55] [56] | |
| (33) | | Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978) | 28 November 1966 | 1 October 1967 | 307 days | Social Democrats | Krag II | [56] | |
| 35 | | Hans Tabor (1922–2003) | 1 October 1967 | 2 February 1968 | 124 days | Social Democrats | Krag II | [56] | |
| 36 | | Poul Hartling (1914–2000) | 2 February 1968 | 11 October 1971 | 3 years, 251 days | Venstre | Baunsgaard | [57] | |
| 37 | | Knud Børge Andersen (1914–1984) | 11 October 1971 | 19 December 1973 | 2 years, 69 days | Social Democrats | Krag III Jørgensen I | [58] [59] | |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Political party | Government | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 38 | | Ove Guldberg (1918–2008) | 19 December 1973 | 13 February 1975 | 1 year, 56 days | Venstre | Hartling | [60] | |
| (37) | | Knud Børge Andersen (1914–1984) | 13 February 1975 | 1 July 1978 | 3 years, 138 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen II | [61] | |
| 39 | | Anker Jørgensen (1922–2016) | 1 July 1978 | 30 August 1978 | 60 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen II | [61] | |
| 40 | | Henning Christophersen (1939–2016) | 30 August 1978 | 26 October 1979 | 1 year, 57 days | Venstre | Jørgensen III | [62] | |
| 41 | | Kjeld Olesen (1932–2024) | 26 October 1979 | 10 September 1982 | 2 years, 319 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen IV–V | [63] [64] | |
| 42 | | Uffe Ellemann-Jensen (1941–2022) | 10 September 1982 | 25 January 1993 | 10 years, 137 days | Venstre | Schlüter I–II–III–IV | [65] [66] [67] [68] | |
| 43 | | Niels Helveg Petersen (1939–2017) | 25 January 1993 | 21 December 2000 | 7 years, 331 days | Social Liberal | P. N. Rasmussen I–II–III–IV | [69] [70] [71] [72] | |
| 44 | | Mogens Lykketoft (born 1946) | 21 December 2000 | 27 November 2001 | 341 days | Social Democrats | P. N. Rasmussen IV | [72] | |
| 45 | | Per Stig Møller (born 1942) | 27 November 2001 | 23 February 2010 | 8 years, 88 days | Conservative | A. F. Rasmussen I–II–III L. L. Rasmussen I | [73] [74] [75] [76] | |
| 46 | | Lene Espersen (born 1965) | 23 February 2010 | 3 October 2011 | 1 year, 222 days | Conservative | L. L. Rasmussen I | [76] | |
| 47 | | Villy Søvndal (born 1952) | 3 October 2011 | 12 December 2013 | 2 years, 70 days | Green Left | Thorning-Schmidt I | [77] | |
| 48 | | Holger K. Nielsen (born 1950) | 12 December 2013 | 30 January 2014 | 49 days | Green Left | Thorning-Schmidt I | [77] | |
| 49 | | Martin Lidegaard (born 1966) | 30 January 2014 | 28 June 2015 | 1 year, 149 days | Social Liberal | Thorning-Schmidt II | [78] | |
| 50 | | Kristian Jensen (born 1971) | 28 June 2015 | 28 November 2016 | 1 year, 153 days | Venstre | L. L. Rasmussen II | [79] | |
| 51 | | Anders Samuelsen (born 1967) | 28 November 2016 | 27 June 2019 | 2 years, 211 days | Liberal Alliance | L. L. Rasmussen III | [80] | |
| 52 | | Jeppe Kofod (born 1974) | 27 June 2019 | 15 December 2022 | 3 years, 171 days | Social Democrats | Frederiksen I | [81] | |
| 53 | | Lars Løkke Rasmussen (born 1964) | 15 December 2022 | Incumbent | 3 years, 38 days | Moderates | Frederiksen II | [82] | |