Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt reshuffled her Cabinet on Monday and appointed four new ministers, including a new foreign minister, after a junior member left the ruling coalition.
The revamped 20-member Cabinet is made up of Ms. Thorning-Schmidt’s Social Democrats and the Social Liberals, after the Socialist People’s Party left the coalition on Thursday over the planned sale of a stake in a state-controlled energy group to US investment bank Goldman Sachs.
The previous Energy and Climate Minister, Martin Lidegaard of the Social Liberals, takes over as Foreign Minister — one of six Cabinet posts previously held by the Socialist People’s Party.
“The whole world is on the move in these times, and Denmark has to find its role and actively seek to influence the world,” Mr. Lidegaard told TV2 News after the new Cabinet met Queen Margrethe.
The Cabinet will continue to work for “more jobs and better welfare,” the Prime Minister said.
“We are different parties but also share strong joint ambitions on behalf of Denmark,” Ms. Thorning-Schmidt said at a news conference with Margrethe Vestager, leader of the Social Liberals.
The Social Liberals now have seven members in the Cabinet. The party’s Indian-born Manu Sareen continues as Minister for Gender Equality, adding integration and children’s affairs to his portfolio.
Three of the four new ministers were Social Democrats, including Kirsten Brosbol, the Environment Minister.
The portfolio for the International Development Cooperation Minister was merged with that of the Trade Minister’s — a post to be held by untested Mogens Jensen of the Social Democrats.
Ms. Thorning-Schmidt’s government took office in 2011.
Half of the 20 Cabinet members kept their posts, including Ms. Vestager, Economics and Interior Minister. There were also no changes to the finance, justice and defence portfolios.
