Karen Ellemann (born Charlottenlund, 26 August 1969) is a Danish member of parliament for the party Venstre and the current Minister for the Environment of Denmark and Minister for Nordic Cooperation.
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Karen is the daughter of former Foreign Minister, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen. She is an educated teacher. She is divorced and has two children, with whom she lives in Hørsholm.
From 2005 to 2007, she was a member of the city council in Rudersdal Municipality. Following the 2007 parliamentary election, she was elected to the Parliament of Denmark (Danish: Folketinget). On April 7, 2009, she was appointed Minister of the Interior and of Social Affairs in the cabinet of prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. In February 2010, she became minister for the environment and Minister of Nordic Cooperation.
Karen Elleman is considered a controversial politician in Denmark due to the decision of importing 6,000 tons of highly toxic chemical waste HCB, also known as Hexachlorobenzene from Australia. Karen Ellemann is convinced that the import is a good opportunity to expose Danish knowhow at its best in the process of handling the HCB waste.
Opponent criticize the decision with reference to the extreme consequence an accident would have on sea environment if one should occur during the 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 km) transport to Denmark.
Karen Ellemann is humorously referred as "chemical Karen" by leading newspaper editors.
On March 13, 2009, together with Venstre-people Gitte Lillelund Bech, Karsten Lauritzen, Malou Aamund, Ellen Thrane Nørby, and Sophie Løhde, she went against the official party politics of Venstre and passed, together with Liberial Alliance and the opposition, the suggestion by Simon Emil Ammitzbøll of Borgerligt Centrum that homosexuals be allowed to adopt.[1]
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by Karen Jespersen |
Minister of the Interior and of Social Affairs 2009 - 2010 |
Succeeded by Bertel Haarder (Ministry of the Interior and Health) Benedikte Kiær (Ministry of Social Affairs) |
Preceded by Troels Lund Poulsen |
Minister for the Environment of Denmark 2010–present |
Incumbent |
Preceded by Bertel Haarder |
Minister of Nordic Cooperation 2010–present |
Incumbent |