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Niels Helveg PetersenDanish politician and statesman
Date of Birth: 17.01.1939
Country:  Denmark |
Content:
- Rasmus Helveg Petersen
- Education and Legal Career
- Political Career
- Ministerial Positions
- Tulegate Scandal
Rasmus Helveg Petersen
Rasmus Helveg Petersen (born June 16, 1936) is a Danish politician and former statesman. He is the son of two prominent politicians, Kristjan Helveg Petersen (a minister and member of parliament) and Lilly Helveg Petersen (the mayor of Copenhagen).
Education and Legal Career
Helveg Petersen studied law at the University of Copenhagen, graduating in 1965 with a doctoral dissertation. After completing his studies, he worked as a lawyer.
Political Career
In 1966, Helveg Petersen was elected as a member of the Danish parliament (Folketing) representing the Social Liberal Party. He served in parliament until 1974, when he joined the European Commission, where he worked from 1974 to 1977.
Upon his return to Denmark, Helveg Petersen was re-elected to parliament in 1977, where he served until 2011 (with a brief interruption from 1993 to 1994). During this period, he also served as leader of the Social Liberal Party until 1990.
Ministerial Positions
From 1988 to 1990, Helveg Petersen served as Minister of Economic Affairs in the government of Poul Rasmussen. He later held the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 2000.
Tulegate Scandal
In the mid-1990s, Helveg Petersen became embroiled in a political scandal known as "Tulegate," which involved the storage of American nuclear weapons in Greenland during the 1950s and 1960s. The scandal led to his resignation as Foreign Minister in 2000.
