Rikke Karlsson

Rikke-Louise Karlsson^[1] (born 29 April 1965) is a Danish politician and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Denmark. She is an Independent politician, but she is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists. She is a former member of the Danish People's Party^[2] She is the niece of fellow Danish People's Party politician Søren Espersen.^[3] She was elected to the European Parliament (EP) in the 2014 EP election. She was a local politician in Rebild Municipality and North Denmark Region council 2009–2014^[3][4] and has been a substitute to the Folketing^[5]

Karlsson has social pedagogy and has worked as a social worker, teacher, leader of a school for children with special problems and in healthcare sector, including psychiatry.^[3]

Elected a member of the municipal council in Rebild in 2009, she was a critic of the municipal authorises in the Rebild-affair where a man had sexually abused nine children, also after concern had been raised to the municipality.^[3] Karlsson's involvement in the affair was in the beginning controversial.^[4] The affair led to the resignation of four leaders in the municipality.^[6]

A candidate to the Folketing in the 2011 election, she was elected first substitute to the parliament.^[5] Being a candidate to the European Parliament for the third time in 2014, she was in nominated in second spot at the party's list and was elected with 7,944 preference votes.^[5]

Karlsson lives in Støvring and has three children.^[7] She is the niece of fellow Danish People's Party politician Søren Espersen.^[3]