Anders Samuelsen

Anders Samuelsen (born 1 August 1967) is a Danish former politician who served as minister of foreign affairs from 2016 to 2019 and as leader of the Liberal Alliance from 2009 to 2019. He was a member of the Folketing for the Danish Social Liberal Party from 1998 to 2004 and for Liberal Alliance from 2007 to 2019, and represented Denmark in the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007.

A graduate in political science from Aarhus University, Samuelsen worked in the disability sector before embarking on a national political career with the Danish Social Liberal Party in the late 1990s.

After Liberal Alliance's heavy defeat at the 2019 Danish general election, in which he lost his parliamentary seat, Samuelsen resigned as party leader amid internal criticism of his leadership. He has since worked in the private sector, including executive roles in UV-technology companies based in Aarhus and in the UVH group.

Early life and education Samuelsen was born in Horsens and is the son of former Folketing member Ole Samuelsen and household economics teacher Anna Holm.

From 1994 to 1998 he worked as a consultant and project coordinator at Castberggård Døves Højskole, a folk high school and training centre for deaf people near Hedensted.

Political career

Danish Social Liberal Party Samuelsen began his political career in the Danish Social Liberal Party (Radikale Venstre). He was the party's parliamentary candidate in the Horsens constituency from 1994 to 1998 and in the Holbæk constituency from 1998 to 2004. From 2004 to 2007 he was a member of the Parliament's Committee on Budgets. As an MEP he also served as a substitute member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, a member of the Delegation for relations with Iran and a substitute for the Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China. He left the Folketing in 2004 in connection with his move to the European Parliament. He was elected to the Folketing for Ny Alliance at the 2007 Danish general election, representing the East Jutland constituency, and continued as a Liberal Alliance MP from 2008 until 2019.

At the 2009 Danish local elections he was elected to Horsens Municipal Council as Liberal Alliance's sole councillor, serving a single term from 2010 to 2013. In September 2016 he announced that the party was prepared to table a motion of no confidence if the government did not reduce the top marginal income tax rate by five percentage points in the 2017 budget. The standoff ended in November 2016, when Rasmussen reshuffled his cabinet, bringing Liberal Alliance and the Conservative People's Party into government in a new three-party coalition in which Liberal Alliance took charge of six ministries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuelsen was appointed minister of foreign affairs on 28 November 2016, serving in that post until the government left office on 27 June 2019. Later that year the government decided to send an additional 55 soldiers to the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan following an attack on a Danish convoy in Kabul.

From November 2017 to May 2018 Samuelsen served as president of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, as Denmark held the rotating chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers. During the Danish chairmanship the government prioritised, among other issues, reform of the Council of Europe's human rights system and strengthening the organisation's financial sustainability.

2019 election and resignation At the 2019 Danish general election Liberal Alliance's vote share fell sharply and the party was reduced from thirteen to four seats; Samuelsen himself failed to win re-election. In the aftermath of the election he faced public criticism from within the party, including from MP Henrik Dahl, who accused his leadership of being characterised by nepotism.

On 6 June 2019 Samuelsen announced that he was stepping down as party leader, stating that Liberal Alliance should continue under new leadership following the election defeat. He was succeeded by Alex Vanopslagh.

Later career

After leaving national politics Samuelsen moved into the private sector. He has held senior roles in companies working with ultraviolet-based disinfection and lighting technology, including as executive vice president of UV Medico Europe and chief executive of the UVH holding company, which owns UV Medico and UV Laser.

Personal life Samuelsen has two sons. He is an enthusiastic runner and has highlighted areas around Horsens and on the island of Samsø as among his favourite places in Denmark. Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (Belgium), 2017. Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog, 2012.