Svend Auken

Infobox Officeholder
name =Svend Auken


caption =Svend Auken, 1998
order =Leader of the Social Democrats
term_start =1987
term_end =1992
predecessor =Anker Jørgensen
successor =Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
order2 = Member of Parliament
term_start2 =1971
term_end2 =
order3 =Minister of Employment
term_start3 =1 October, 1977
term_end3 =10 September, 1982
predecessor3 =Erling Jensen
successor3 =Grethe Fenger Møller
order4 =Minister for the Environment
term_start4 =25 January 1993
term_end4 =27 November 2001
predecessor4 =Per Stig Møller
successor4 =Hans Christian Schmidt
order5 =Energy Minister
term_start5 =27 September 1994
term_end5 =27 November 2001
predecessor5 =Jann Sjursen
successor5 =Office Abolished
birth_date =Birth date and age|1943|5|24|df=yes
birth_place =Aarhus
death_date =
death_place =
party =Social Democratic Party

Svend (Gunnarsen) Auken IPA| [svɛn ˈɑʊ̯ˀg̊ŋ̩] (born 24 May 1943) is a Danish politician. He holds a degree in political science from the University of Aarhus and also taught there for a period in the very early 1970s. He has represented the Social Democrats as a member of the Danish parliament (Folketinget) since 1971.

He was Minister of Employment 1 October 1977 to 10 September 1982 in the Cabinet of Anker Jørgensen II, III, IV, and V

In 1987 Svend Auken succeeded Jørgensen as leader of the Danish Social Democrats, in opposition to the governments of Prime Minister Poul Schlüter. After making big gains in the 1990 general election, he was subsequently unable to put together a workable coalition, partly because of bad personal relations with prominent politicians in the traditional coalition party of the Social Democrats, "Det Radikale Venstre" (The Social Liberal Party of Denmark).

He was challenged in 1992 as leader of the Social Democrats by Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, who went on to win the internal election. That gave Auken the dubious honour of being, at the time, the only Social Democratic leader of the 20th century to not become prime minister. Subsequently, this has happened to Mogens Lykketoft (leader from 2002-2005) as well.

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen went on to become Prime Minister of Denmark in 1993, and Auken served as Minister for the Environment 25 January 1993 - 27 September 1994 in the Cabinet of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen I and Minister for the Environment and Energy 27 September 1994 to 27 November 2001 in the Cabinet of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen II, III and IV.

After the defeat of the government of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen in the general election of 2001, Svend Auken has continued to serve as member of the Danish Parliament. Currently, he is the EU-affairs spokesman of his party, and he also keeps a high profile on environmental issues.

Svend Auken is generally acknowledged to be one of the most naturally gifted and charismatic Danish politicians of his generation, and he is sometimes referred to (by those who like him) as "the best Prime Minister Denmark never had".Fact|date=August 2007

He was married to journalist and editor Bettina Heltberg 1966-1993. Today he is married to film director Anne Wivel. Children: David (1966), Adam (1968), Louise (1972), Jessica (1979).

References

* [http://www.ft.dk/BAGGRUND/Biografier_english/Svend_Auken.htm# CV] - from Folketinget.