View source for Uffe Ellemann-Jensen

{{Short description|Danish politician (1941–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{refimprove|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                      = Uffe Ellemann-Jensen
| image                     = Uffe Ellemann-Jensen.jpg
| image_size                =
| order                     = [[Foreign Minister of Denmark|Minister of Foreign Affairs]]
| term_start                = 10 September 1982
| term_end                  = 25 January 1993
| predecessor               = [[Kjeld Olesen]]
| successor                 = [[Niels Helveg Petersen]]
| primeminister             = [[Poul Schlüter]]
| order2                    = [[Venstre (Denmark)|Leader of Venstre]]
| term_start2               = 23 July 1984
| term_end2                 = 18 March 1998
| predecessor2              = [[Henning Christophersen]]
| successor2                = [[Anders Fogh Rasmussen]]
| primeminister2            =
| order3                    = [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party|President of the European Liberals]]
| term_start3               = 1995
| term_end3                 = 2000
| predecessor3              = [[Willy De Clercq]]
| successor3                = [[Werner Hoyer]]
| primeminister3            =
| birth_date                = {{birth date|1941|11|1|df=yes}}
| birth_place               = [[Haarby]], [[Denmark in World War II|Denmark]]
| death_date                = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2022|6|18|1941|11|1}}
| death_place               = [[Copenhagen]], Denmark
| party                     = [[Venstre (Denmark)|Venstre]]
| nationality               = Danish
| spouse                    = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Hanne Jonsen|1963|1971}}
* {{marriage|[[Alice Vestergaard]]|1971}}
}}
| children                  = 4 incl.: {{Unbulleted list
| [[Karen Ellemann]]
| [[Jakob Ellemann-Jensen]]
}}
}}
'''Uffe Ellemann-Jensen''' ({{IPA|da|ˈufə ˈeləmæn ˈjensn̩}}, informal: {{IPA|da|ˈufə ˈeləˌmænˀ|}}; 1 November 1941 – 18 June 2022) was a Danish politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark in the [[Det Konservative Folkeparti|Conservative]]-led [[Poul Schlüter]] Administration from 1982 to 1993. He was leader of the Danish [[Liberalism|Liberal]] Party [[Venstre (Denmark)|Venstre]] from 1984 to 1998 and President of the [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party|European Liberals]] 1995–2000.
In 1998 Ellemann-Jensen founded [[Baltic Development Forum]], a non-profit networking organisation dedicated to the business development of the [[Baltic Sea]] region. He was its first chairman from its founding to 2011, and was also honorary chairman following his resignation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Uffe Ellemann-Jensen steps down as BDF Chairman |publisher=Baltic Development Forum |date=31 October 2011 |url=http://www.bdforum.org/uffe-ellemann-jensen-steps-down-as-bdf-chairman/ |access-date=20 June 2022}}</ref> He was also [[non-executive director]] of various boards of international companies.
== Political career ==
[[File:Ellemann Jensen, Pöhl, Ruud Lubbers.jpg|thumb|left|280px|[[World Economic Forum]] Annual Meeting 1993. From left to right: Ellemann-Jensen, [[Karl Otto Pöhl]], [[Ruud Lubbers]].]]
A strong supporter of [[NATO]] and the [[European Union]] based upon his belief in Western cohesion, Ellemann-Jensen's stance led to many political battles with the left-wing opposition. Several times the opposition tried to topple him on issues of solidarity within NATO, but he survived. Uffe Ellemann-Jensen succeeded in convincing a majority in the Danish [[Parliament]], the [[Folketinget]], to actively support the U.S. led coalition against [[Iraq]] during the [[Gulf War]]. Furthermore, he led the Danish recognition of the renewed independence of the three Baltic countries in 1991, when Denmark was the first country to re-establish diplomatic relations with the three countries.
In 1992, Ellemann-Jensen, together with his German colleague [[Hans-Dietrich Genscher]], took the initiative to create the [[Council of the Baltic Sea States]] (CBSS) and the [[EuroFaculty]].<ref>Gustav N Kristensen, ''Born into a Dream. EuroFaculty and the Council of the Baltic Sea States'', Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag 2010, {{ISBN|978-3-8305-1769-6}}.</ref>
In September 1992, Ellemann-Jensen and other senior officials visited southern [[Somalia]], one of the first foreign delegations to do so since the start of [[Somali Civil War|civil war]] there the year before.<ref name="Stuart">{{cite book |last=Stuart |first=Mark |title=Douglas Hurd: The Public Servant: An Authorised Biography |year=1998 |publisher=Mainstream Publishing Company, Limited |isbn=1-84018-125-7 |page=410}}</ref>
After the fall of the centre-right government, in which he also served as Deputy Prime Minister, in 1993 following the [[Tamil Case|Tamil case]], outgoing prime minister Poul Schlüter attempted to have Ellemann-Jensen appointed acting prime minister until [[Henning Dyremose]] (Conservative) could take over, but the attempt was dropped as royal cabinet secretary [[Niels Eilschou Holm]] considered the maneuver unconstitutional. Instead, [[Poul Nyrup Rasmussen]] ([[Social Democrats (Denmark)|Social Democrats]]) was appointed prime minister following a "[[Queen's round]]", and Ellemann-Jensen became leader of the opposition.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Klarskov |first=Kristian |date=26 May 2020 |title=Da ambassadøren måtte råbe ad USA: »Hm, det var ikke helt oppe i 'fuck', vel. Men det var noget i retning af: 'Hvad fanden tænker I på?« |language=da |work=Politiken |url=https://politiken.dk/indland/art7800752/%C2%BBHm-det-var-ikke-helt-oppe-i-%E2%80%99fuck%E2%80%99-vel.-Men-det-var-noget-i-retning-af-%E2%80%99Hvad-fanden-t%C3%A6nker-I-p%C3%A5%C2%AB |url-access=subscription |access-date=26 May 2020}}</ref>
Ellemann-Jensen was leader of the opposition until the [[1998 Danish parliamentary election|1998 general election]], which he lost with a single seat. If his party had only 85 more votes, he would have been able to form a new centre-right government as Prime Minister. He decided then to leave politics and his successor as the leader of [[Venstre (Denmark)|Venstre]] was [[Anders Fogh Rasmussen]], who became Prime Minister of Denmark in 2001.
The new active Danish foreign policy continued after Ellemann-Jensen's ten-year term as Foreign Minister and ultimately became a turning point in Danish foreign and defence policy. It later became known as the ''[[Ellemann-Jensen doctrine]]''.
In 1995, Ellemann-Jensen was a candidate for the post of [[Secretary-General]] of NATO when [[Willy Claes]] was forced to leave the role. He got the support of the U.S. government, but France blocked his candidature, preferring the Spanish candidate, [[Javier Solana]]. Ellemann-Jensen never tried to hide his disappointment with not getting the post that he had wanted all his political life.
He participated eight times in the [[Bilderberg conference]]s: 1984, 1987 and every year between 1993 and 1998.
After leaving politics, Ellemann-Jensen became a columnist for the Danish daily ''[[Berlingske Tidende]]'' and a contributor to [[Project Syndicate]].
Ellemann-Jensen became a central figure in [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy|the controversy]] following the Danish daily [[Jyllands-Posten]]'s decision to print 12 satirical images of the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] in September 2005. In his column, only days after the cartoons were printed, he argued that he thought the cartoons represented an "unnecessary provocation", believing they constituted in themselves a caricature of Denmark's "cherished [[freedom of expression]]". Ellemann-Jensen remained in that position all through the controversy at the same time never missing an opportunity to support the Danish Prime Minister's stance that the government could not and should not take punitive action against the newspaper.
== Personal life ==
Uffe Ellemann-Jensen was the son of  {{ill|Jens Peter Jensen|da}} a member of the [[Folketing]]. In 1971, his first marriage was dissolved and he married [[Alice Vestergaard]]. He had four children, among them [[Jakob Ellemann-Jensen]] and [[Karen Ellemann]]. He was an avid [[hunting|hunter]] and [[fishing|fly fisher]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}
== Awards ==
On 18 December 2002, Ellemann-Jensen was awarded the Grand Cross of the [[Order of Dannebrog]].
On 12 February 2010, Ellemann-Jensen received the highest accolade of the Republic of Macedonia, the [[Order 8-September]] for his contribution to the strengthening of Danish-Macedonian relations and for promotion of Macedonia in its initial years of independence in the early 1990s.
== Illnesses and death ==
In 1989, Ellemann-Jensen underwent surgery for two [[spinal disc herniation]]s in his neck,<ref name="EB">{{cite news |title=Jakob Ellemann-Jensen skal opereres for to diskusprolapser i nakken |website=[[Ekstra Bladet]] |date=15 September 2020 |url=https://ekstrabladet.dk/nyheder/politik/jakob-ellemann-jensen-skal-opereres-for-to-diskusprolapser-i-nakken/8290789 |language=da |access-date=17 June 2022}}</ref> but experienced two [[cervical fracture]]s of his spine during the operation;{{sfnp|Ellemann-Jensen|2017|p=342}} subsequently, he wore a [[Cervical collar|neck brace]] for half a year.<ref name="EB" /> He had a [[stent]] inserted in his heart and, following a [[Thrombus|blood clot]], a [[Artificial cardiac pacemaker|pacemaker]].<ref name="Nygaard">{{cite news |last=Nygaard |first=Else Marie |title=Uffe Ellemann-Jensen: Da min kone blev syg, blev jeg virkelig bange |website=[[Kristeligt Dagblad]] |date=31 March 2021 |url=https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/liv-sjael/uffe-ellemann-jensen-en-ting-er-jeg-er-skroebelig-men-da-min-kone-blev-syg-blev-jeg |language=da |access-date=17 June 2022}}</ref> He had another blood clot in an [[DSB Class MF|IC3]] train to [[Aalborg]] in 2003, after which he stopped smoking.<ref name="Nygaard" />{{sfnp|Ellemann-Jensen|2017|p=342}} He furthermore had [[diabetes]].<ref name="Nygaard" /> He had a [[tumor]] that pressed against his [[spinal cord]] removed in 2019.<ref name="Nygaard" /> In a 2021 interview with Ellemann-Jensen, it was reported that an "old cancer [...] was stirring again",{{efn|Original quote: "[...] en gammel kræftsygdom, som er begyndt at røre på sig igen."<ref name="Nygaard" />}} and referring to his health problems, he stated that he was "a wandering example of [[medical science]]'s progress".<ref name="Nygaard" />{{efn|Original quote: "Jeg er et omvandrende eksempel på lægekunstens fremdrift."<ref name="Nygaard" />}}
In August 2021, the then{{ndash}}fully vaccinated Ellemann-Jensen was admitted to hospital with [[COVID-19]] for three weeks;<ref>{{cite news |title=Uffe Ellemann-Jensen har været alvorligt ramt af corona |website=[[Berlingske]] |date=6 September 2021 |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/politik/uffe-ellemann-jensen-har-vaeret-alvorligt-ramt-af-corona |language=da |access-date=17 June 2022 |author=Ritzau}}</ref> he was then in further treatment for two weeks.<ref>{{cite web |last=Skarum |first=Sarah |title=Uffe Ellemann-Jensen er ramt af alverdens sygdomme. Dem, han holder af, holder ham i live |website=[[Politiken]] |date=1 November 2021 |url=https://politiken.dk/navne/art8405200/Uffe-Ellemann-Jensen-er-ramt-af-alverdens-sygdomme.-Dem-han-holder-af-holder-ham-i-live |access-date=17 June 2022}}</ref> Ellemann-Jensen had a successful [[prostate cancer]] surgery at an apparently early stage of the disease in January 2011.<ref>{{cite news |title=Uffe Ellemann opereret for kræft |work=[[Berlingske]] |date=12 January 2011 |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/samfund/uffe-ellemann-opereret-kraeft |author=[[Ritzau]] |language=da |access-date=17 June 2022}}</ref> Subsequently, however, the cancer flared up again, and on 13 June 2022 he was admitted to [[Rigshospitalet]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Uffe Ellemann er alvorligt syg – Jakob Ellemann rejser hjem fra folkemøde |website=Politiken |date=16 June 2022 |url=https://politiken.dk/indland/politik/art8836658/Uffe-Ellemann-er-alvorligt-syg-%E2%80%93-Jakob-Ellemann-rejser-hjem-fra-folkem%C3%B8de |access-date=17 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Fredborg |first=Jonas |title=Jakob Ellemann tager hjem fra Folkemødet – Uffe Ellemann er alvorligt syg |website=Altinget |date=16 June 2022 |url=https://www.altinget.dk/artikel/jakob-ellemann-tager-hjem-fra-folkemoedet-uffe-ellemann-er-alvorligt-syg |access-date=17 June 2022}}</ref> where he died on 18 June at the age of 80.<ref name="Stephensen 2022">{{cite web |last=Stephensen |first=Emma Klinker |title=Uffe Ellemann-Jensen bisættes |website=nyheder.tv2.dk |date=28 June 2022 |url=https://nyheder.tv2.dk/live/2022-06-28-uffe-ellemann-jensen-bisaettes |language=da |access-date=28 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Jakob Ellemann-Jensen om sin fars død: 'Han døde til Tivolis fyrværkeri'{{snd}}Seneste nyt | publisher=DR | date=22 June 2022 | url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/seneste/jakob-ellemann-jensen-om-sin-fars-doed-han-doede-til-tivolis-fyrvaerkeri | access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref>
== Bibliography ==
* ''De nye millionærer'' (''The new millionaires''), 1971
* ''Det afhængige samfund'' (''The dependent society''), 1972
* ''Hvad gør vi ved Gudenåen?'' (''What should we do about [[Gudenåen]]''), 1973
* ''Den truede velstand'' (''The threatened wealth''), 1974
* ''Økonomi'' (''Economy''), 1975
* ''Da Danmark igen sagde ja til det fælles'' (''When Denmark once more said yes to the common''), 1987
* ''Et lille land, og dog'' (''A small country, or perhaps not''), 1991
* ''Olfert Fischer i Golfen'' (''[[HDMS Olfert Fischer (F355)|Olfert Fischer]] in [[Persian Gulf|the Gulf]]''), 1991, with Sv. E. Thiede
* ''Din egen dag er kort'' (''Your own day is short''), 1996
* ''Rent ud sagt – indfald og udfald'' (''Plainly spoken – ideas and attacks''), 1997
* ''Sådan set'' (''In a manner of speaking''), 1997 with Erik Werner
* ''EU – derfor'' (''[[European Union|EU]] – the reason''), 1998
* ''Ude med snøren'' (''Having the fishing line out''), 2001
* ''Østen for solen'' (''East of the sun''), 2002
* ''FODfejl'' (''Stepping in it''), 2004
* ''Ude med snøren – fisk og mennesker jeg har mødt'', 2004, {{ISBN|87-00-49716-9}}, autobiography featuring [[recreational fishing]]
* ''Vejen, jeg valgte'', 2009, {{ISBN|87-03-02892-5}}
* ''Nu gik det lige så godt, men så gik verden af lave'', 2009, {{ISBN|87-02-08088-5}}, about the effects of the [[financial crisis of 2007–2008]]
== References ==
;Comments
{{notelist}}
;Citations
{{reflist}}
;Literature
* {{cite book |last=Ellemann-Jensen |first=Uffe |title=Som blad i høst{{snd}}Mit liv efter politik | publisher=[[Lindhardt og Ringhof]] | year=2017 | isbn=978-87-11-89712-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iHY5DwAAQBAJ |language=da}}
== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.bdforum.org/show/english/organisation/the_chairman/_cv_of_the_chairman_.aspx CV of Chairman Uffe Ellemann-Jensen] at the website of [[Baltic Development Forum]]
* [http://www.project-syndicate.org/contributor/105 Commentary by Uffe Ellemann-Jensen] at the website of [[Project Syndicate]]
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{{succession box
| title = [[List of Foreign Ministers of Denmark|Foreign Minister of Denmark]]
| before = [[Kjeld Olesen]]
| years = 10 September 1982 – 25 January 1993
| after = [[Niels Helveg Petersen]]
}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{succession box
| title = [[Venstre (Denmark)|Leader of Venstre]]
| before = [[Henning Christophersen]]
| years = 1984–1998
| after = [[Anders Fogh Rasmussen]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellemann-Jensen, Uffe}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:Ministers of foreign affairs of Denmark]]
[[Category:Members of the Folketing]]
[[Category:People from Assens Municipality]]
[[Category:Venstre (Denmark) politicians]]
[[Category:Leaders of Venstre (Denmark)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog]]
[[Category:Recipients of Nersornaat]]
[[Category:Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Prince Henry]]
[[Category:Order of Duke Trpimir recipients]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic]]