Welcome to the website of Venstre, Denmark's Liberal Party.

In may 2009 Venstre elected a new leader, Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, to follow in the footsteps of former Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who has been chosen as Secretary General of Nato.

Here you can learn more about Venstre of today and our goals for the future.

In November 2001 Venstre won a significant victory in the national election. After decades of Socialdemocratic rule the people elected a liberal-conservative government. Venstre formed a coalition with The Conservartive Party.

Both in February 2005 and in November 2007 Venstre and its coalition partner were reelected.

Since the 2001 election Venstre has been the largest party represented in the Danish Parliament. Venstre holds 12 of the 19 government offices in the current government.

From November 2001 till April 2009 the Danish Prime Minister was Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who was also the leader of Venstre. He gained widespread popularity and was acknowledged as a strong and effective leader, both in Denmark and in the EU where he successfully presided over the final negotiations leading to the Eastern enlargement during the Danish Presidency in the autumn of 2003.

Denmark has also been a strong and respected participant in the international coalition force in Iraq. Now, Danish Forces are contributing in Afghanistan. All in all Denmark contributes to a dozen missions world wide in countries like Libanon, Sudan, Ethiopia, Nepal, Georgia and Bosnia.

Among voters in Denmark Venstre has a high credibility. During the 2001 elections Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen's strategy was to create a "contract" with the voters based on clear pledges in a limited number of clearly identified fields.

If Venstre were to win the elections, it promised to introduce a total tax freeze, to bring down waiting lists for operations at public hospitals, to tighten sanctions against violent crime, to guarantee a larger degree of free choice in the public services to the elderly as well as in the child care sector, to improve public support for parental leave, and - finally - to tighten asylum and immigration rules.

All six promises have been carried out by the government who - till this day - still has firm stands on these issues.

Prior to the election in February 2005 Venstre set seven new goals for the coming term in government: a 10 billion DKR investment in science and education, reduced payment for child care and a higher rate of public child support, better hospitals with shorter waiting lists and focus on better cancer treatment, more flexible care for the elderly, a 1 billion DKR investment in a better environment, continuation of the tax freeze and a continued firm stand on immigration and integration.

In the 2007 election Venstre set further goals for the future:

A continuation of the tax freeze. A continued firm stand on immigration and a bigger focus on integration. The plan was to get more people from the ethnic groups in Denmark to join the work force. They should also get more involved in society as a whole by taking an education, joining sports clubs etc. The schools should teach democracy and emphasize democratic values such as freedom of speech. The goal was to prevent extremism.

The latest statistics (2009) show that more and more immigrants in fact do join the work force, and more young people with an immigrant background finish an education. An increasing number of young people marry later in life, and more often they marry a person who is already living in Denmark.

In 2007 Venstre also wanted to reform public service. An investment in modern schools and hospitals should pave the way for better service and higher quality. Venstre therefore promised an investment plan: 50 billion DKR.

Since 2008 Venstre has been putting more emphasis on environmental issues. All though Denmark is already a front runner when it comes to wind energy and recycling more money will be put into research on alternative energy sources.

In 2009 Denmark will be hosting The Copenhagen Climate Conference seeking to replace the Kyoto Protocol. Venstre supports a new international framework on batteling climate change. Therefore, Venstre will work harder on a continued reduction of CO2 in a bid to prevent global warming.

The conference will be lead by Venstres leader, Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who came in to office in April 2009. He has followed in the footsteps of Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen who stepped back in order to take on the job as Nato's secretary General.

Mr Lars Løkke Rasmussen has been a key minister since the 2001 election. First as Minister of the Interior and Health, then Minister of Finance.

For further contact, please call Venstres Headquarter: +45 45 80 22 33.