Update 

Anders Fogh-Rasmussen

Government wins second term

Following the general election in Denmark at the beginning of February, Denmark’s Liberal- Conservative government has won a second term under the leadership of Prime Minister, Anders Fogh-Rasmussen. The Liberal and the Conservative Parties have formed a coalition government over the last three Major player on the energy market The pieces now seem to be in place for the creation of a large Danish energy company, which will become a key player in both oil, natural gas and electricity. Danish Oil and Natural Gas, DONG, is in the process of gaining control of the Danish national grid through acquisitions of a number of electricity companies. DONG is already the largest Danish player in the oil and natural gas sector. Since its establishment in the early 1980s, the company has been publicly owned, but a partial privatisation of DONG is on its way through a stock exchange listing. years with parliamentary support from the Danish People’s Party. The February election gave the government and the Danish People’s Party an unchanged number of seats. The Liberal Party, the party of the Prime Minister, lost four of its original 56 seats. The Conservative Party on the other hand gained two seats to bring its total to18, and the Danish People’s Party also gained two seats. The government and the Danish People’s Party today have 94 seats out of the 179 in the Danish Parliament. At the election, the Christian Democrats lost their representation in parliament as the party didn’t gain the necessary 2% of the vote. The election term in Denmark is four years. The next election must take place at latest 8 February 2009.

Party leaders step down after election defeat

Following the general election in Denmark at the beginning of February, Denmark’s Liberal- Conservative government has won a second term under the leadership of Prime Minister, Anders Fogh-Rasmussen. The Liberal and the Conservative Parties have formed a coalition government over the last three Major player on the energy market The pieces now seem to be in place for the creation of a large Danish energy company, which will become a key player in both oil, natural gas and electricity. Danish Oil and Natural Gas, DONG, is in the process of gaining control of the Danish national grid through acquisitions of a number of electricity companies. DONG is already the largest Danish player in the oil and natural gas sector. Since its establishment in the early 1980s, the company has been publicly owned, but a partial privatisation of DONG is on its way through a stock exchange listing. years with parliamentary support from the Danish People’s Party. The February election gave the government and the Danish People’s Party an unchanged number of seats. The Liberal Party, the party of the Prime Minister, lost four of its original 56 seats. The Conservative Party on the other hand gained two seats to bring its total to18, and the Danish People’s Party also gained two seats. The government and the Danish People’s Party today have 94 seats out of the 179 in the Danish Parliament. At the election, the Christian Democrats lost their representation in parliament as the party didn’t gain the necessary 2% of the vote. The election term in Denmark is four years. The next election must take place at latest 8 February 2009.

Party leaders step down after election defeat

The general election on 8th February was a fateful day for Since DONG projected and constructed the overall natural gas and oil transport system in Denmark, it has continuously expanded its activities. There are now DONG offices in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Holland and Great Britain. Trade in oil and gas is based on both production from its own fields, and on oil and gas from other producers. DONG’s own reserves are growing strongly. Recently the company acquired a share in Northern Europe’s second largest gas field in Norway. DONG participates in oil and gas exploration both inside and outside Denmark. A growing part of DONG’s activities concern renewable and environmentally friendly energy from offshore wind turbines, and development of geothermal energy. two prominent Danish politicians. Mogens Lykketoft, leader of the Social Democrats and the opposition’s prime ministerial candidate, announced his resignation as party leader. Following the defeat he acknowledged responsibility for the party’s loss of five seats. Holger K. Nielsen, the leader of another opposition group, the Socialist People’s Party, similarly announced his resignation as party leader. The Socialist People’s Party lost one seat in the parliament.

Mogens Lykketoft was a key figure among the Social Democrats for many years. During several election periods where the Social Democrats were in power, he was Minister for Finance and Minister for Foreign Affairs respectively. He had been the party leader for two years. Mogens Lykketoft replaced former Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, who in his turn had replaced Svend Auken. The continuous changing of party leaders, and internal struggles within the party, are considered by political observers to be one of the main reasons for the party’s decline.

Mogens Lykketoft

Holger K. Nielsen led the Socialist People’s Party for 12 years. Under his stewardship, the party changed its attitude to the European Union, with the majority of party members today being in favour of an enlarged European community.

Major player on the energy market

The pieces now seem to be in place for the creation of a large Danish energy company, which will become a key player in both oil, natural gas and electricity. Danish Oil and Natural Gas, DONG, is in the process of gaining control of the Danish national grid through acquisitions of a number of electricity companies. DONG is already the largest Danish player in the oil and natural gas sector. Since its establishment in the early 1980s, the company has been publicly owned, but a partial privatisation of DONG is on its way through a stock exchange listing.

Since DONG projected and constructed the overall natural gas and oil transport system in Denmark, it has continuously expanded its activities. There are now DONG offices in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Holland and Great Britain. Trade in oil and gas is based on both production from its own fields, and on oil and gas from other producers. DONG’s own reserves are growing strongly. Recently the company acquired a share in Northern Europe’s second largest gas field in Norway. DONG participates in oil and gas exploration both inside and outside Denmark.

A growing part of DONG’s activities concern renewable and environmentally friendly energy from offshore wind turbines, and development of geothermal energy.