Denmark's defense minister takes sick leave after checkup
Denmark’s defense minister has taken a leave of absence for an undetermined period of time after he felt unwell and went to a Copenhagen hospital for a medical checkup last week
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Denmark’s defense minister has taken a leave of absence for an undetermined period of time after he felt unwell and went to a Copenhagen hospital for a medical checkup last week.
The 49-year-old Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, who is also deputy prime minister, heads the Liberals that are part of Denmark’s governing three-party coalition.
He wrote on his Facebook page on Feb. 1 that he had “dizziness and headache” and went to a hospital “just to be safe.” After being examined, he said he “there is nothing serious to report and I am feeling well again.”
But he posted on Monday evening that he “was pulling the plug” and “will be back when I’m ready” after taking advice from his doctor.
“I have been unusually busy for a long time. Now my body is sending a signal that it’s time to take a break,” Ellemann-Jensen wrote on Facebook.
A senior member of the Liberals, Troels Lund Poulsen, will take over the defense ministry temporarily until Ellemann-Jensen can return. Another senior party member, Stephanie Lose, will assume the leadership of the Liberals in Ellemann-Jensen's absence.
On Dec. 15 — after 42 days of talks following the Nov. 1 general election — Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen presented a three-party majority coalition that crosses the left-right divide. It includes the center-right Liberals, the center-left Social Democrats and the centrist Moderates party headed by former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who is now Denmark's foreign minister.
It was the first time in 44 years that such a centrist government had been formed, bringing an end to the two blocs that have opposed each other for decades.
The three parties control 89 seats in the 179-seat parliament and are also supported by the four lawmakers representing the semi-independent Danish territories of Greenland and the Faeroe Islands.
On Jan. 30, Ellemann-Jensen traveled with Frederiksen and Løkke Rasmussen on a one-day trip to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.