Troels Lund Poulsen

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Prime MinisterMette Frederiksen
Preceded byJakob Ellemann-Jensen
Troels Lund Poulsen
Lund Poulsen in 2026
Deputy Prime Minister of Denmark
Assumed office
23 October 2023
Prime MinisterMette Frederiksen
Preceded byJakob Ellemann-Jensen
Leader of Venstre
Assumed office
18 November 2023
DeputyStephanie Lose
Preceded byJakob Ellemann-Jensen
Minister for Defence
Assumed office
22 August 2023
Prime MinisterMette Frederiksen
Preceded byJakob Ellemann-Jensen
Acting
6 February 2023  1 August 2023
Preceded byJakob Ellemann-Jensen
Succeeded byJakob Ellemann-Jensen
Ministerial positions
Minister for Economic Affairs
In office
23 October 2023  23 November 2023
Prime MinisterMette Frederiksen
Preceded byJakob Ellemann-Jensen
Succeeded byStephanie Lose
In office
15 December 2022  22 August 2023[b]
Prime MinisterMette Frederiksen
Preceded bySimon Emil Ammitzbøll-Bille (2019)
Succeeded byJakob Ellemann-Jensen
Minister for Employment
In office
28 November 2016  27 June 2019
Prime MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen
Preceded byJørn Neergaard Larsen
Succeeded byPeter Hummelgaard
Minister for Business Affairs and Growth
In office
28 June 2015  28 November 2016
Prime MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen
Preceded byHenrik Sass Larsen
Succeeded byBrian Mikkelsen
Minister of Education
In office
8 March 2011  3 October 2011
Prime MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen
Preceded byTina Nedergaard
Succeeded byChristine Antorini
Minister for Taxation
In office
23 February 2010  8 March 2011
Prime MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen
Preceded byKristian Jensen
Succeeded byPeter Christensen
Minister for the Environment
In office
23 November 2007  23 February 2010
Prime MinisterAnders Fogh Rasmussen
Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Preceded byConnie Hedegaard
Succeeded byKaren Ellemann
Member of the Folketing
Assumed office
20 November 2001
ConstituencyVejle (2001–2007)
East Jutland (2007–present)
Personal details
Born (1976-03-30) 30 March 1976 (age 50)
Vejle, Denmark
PartyVenstre
SpouseAnne
Children1

Troels Lund Poulsen (born 30 March 1976) is a Danish politician, who is the Deputy Prime Minister of Denmark and leader of Venstre. He also serves as Minister of Defence. He previously served as Minister for the Environment from 2007 to 2010, Minister for Taxation from 2010 to 2011, Minister of Education in 2011, Minister for Commerce, Business and Growth from 2015 to 2016, Minister for Employment from 2016 to 2019, and Minister for Economic Affairs from 2022 to 2023. He has been a member of the Folketing since 2001, representing the Hedensted nomination district.

Poulsen was first elected into parliament at the 2001 Danish general election.[1]

On 23 February 2010, he was appointed as Minister of Taxation, while Karen Ellemann took over the Ministry of the Environment. On 8 March 2011, he was appointed Minister of Education, following Tina Nedergaard's resignation on the same day.[2][3]

In late 2011, he became the center of a dispute regarding the disclosure of confidential documents in favor of discrediting the former Danish prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt and her husband Stephen Kinnock due to their tax relations.[4] The affair happened in the 2011 Danish parliamentary election and involved the head of SKAT (the Danish tax agency) Copenhagen (Erling Andersen), the Permanent Secretary of State in the Ministry of Taxes, Peter Loft, and the spindoctor of Lund Poulsen, Peter Arnfeldt.[5]

On 28 June 2015, he was appointed Minister of Business and Growth in the government of Lars Løkke Rasmussen II.[6] On 28 November 2016, he was moved from here to the position of Minister of Employment.[7]

He was appointed minister of economic affairs on 15 December 2022 when Mette Frederiksen presented her second cabinet.[8] On 6 February 2023, he became acting minister of defence while Jakob Ellemann-Jensen was on leave.[9] On 22 August 2023, the appointment became permanent. On 23 October 2023, he replaced Ellemann-Jensen as Deputy Prime Minister after his resignation as party leader of Venstre.[10][11] He was elected leader of Venstre on 18 November 2023,[12] with Stephanie Lose taking over as minister of economic affairs.[13]

On 9 February 2024, he stated, "Denmark should speed up its military investments after new intelligence indicates that Russia is rearming faster than expected and that it could attack a NATO country within three to five years".[14]

Troels Lund Poulsen taking questions from journalists at Christiansborg Palace in December 2025

On 3 April 2024, he fired Chief of Defence Flemming Lentfer, saying that Lentfer had failed to keep him informed about weapons failures on board HDMS Iver Huitfeldt when it fought in Operation Prosperity Guardian during armed combat against Houthi militants.[15][16]

In 2025, the Auditor general criticised him, and previous ministers, for inadequate security at 18 military bases.[17]

Personal life

Lund Poulsen is married to Anne, with whom he has a daughter.[12]

Bibliography

  • Atlantiske afstande (2004, co-author)
  • Den forandrede verden (2003, co-author)
  • Tid til forandring (2001)

Honours

National honours

Foreign Honours

Notes

References

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