Saturday, February 15, 2014

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister of Denmark

So, who was that attractive woman exchanging pleasantries with President Obama at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in South Africa?  She's the prime minister of Denmark, a country known for having a lot of happy and healthy people.


Helle Thorning-Schmidt has been the prime minster of the small Scandinavian monarchy since 2011, and she's been the leader of the Social Democratic Party in Denmark since 2005, the first woman to hold either post.  (Incidentally, she is at the service of another woman, Queen Margrethe II.)   He most notable achievements during her tenure as Denmark's head of government so far includes a rollback of anti-immigration legislation passed by the previous government as well as lowering taxes on wages and reforming welfare to increase economic productivity.

Her "selfie" photos taken with President Obama and British Prime Minster David Cameron at the Mandela memorial aroused some criticism over their appropriateness, though the memorial itself was more of a celebration of Mandela's life than a solemn ceremony.  Her looks aroused some rather misogynistic reactions in the American press - was she "flirting" with the President and the British Prime Minister?  No.  She was merely socializing with them.  As far as her physical attractiveness . . . hello? She's Danish!  Everyone in Denmark is good-looking!  That's because they're so happy and healthy.     

Fun fact:  Her husband is Stephen Kinnock, son of former British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock.  

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