Christina Dam Kristensen og Jannick Dam Kristensen
Henrik Dam Kristensen (born 31 January 1957) is a Danish politician and a former speaker of the Danish parliament. He has been a member of the Danish parliament for the Social Democrats from 1990 to 2004 and again from 2007, during which he served as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries (1994–1996), Minister for Food (1996–2000), Minister for Social Affairs (2000–2001), Minister for Transport (2011–2013) and Minister for Employment (2014–2015). He served as President of the Nordic Council in 2011 and 2016.
Background
Kristensen was born in Vorbasse to Ove Dam Kristensen and Gudrun Dam Kristensen. From 1978 to 1986 he worked as a postman in Vorbasse, and also worked with the Danish Refugee Council from 1986 to 1988. From 1988 to 1990 he worked as a principal at a school. He is married to Bente Dam Kristensen.[1]
In 2006 Kristensen resigned his seat from the European Parliament, and the seat was taken over by Christel Schaldemose. He became the party secretary of the Social Democrats. He ran for the Folketing again in the 2007 Danish general election, where he was elected. He was reelected in 2011. On 3 October 2011 Kristensen was appointed to the post of Minister for Transport in the Cabinet of Helle Thorning-Schmidt, and left office on 9 August 2013. On 10 October 2014 he again entered the cabinet, when he was appointed the position of Minister for Employment.[4][5][6]
Kristensen was reelected into the Folketing in the 2015 and 2019 elections. On 21 June 2019 Kristensen was appointed speaker of the Danish parliament, replacing Pia Kjærsgaard.[7] Kristensen served as speaker between 2019 and November 2022, when Søren Gade became speaker.
In 2011 Denmark was to appoint a president of the Nordic Council and Kristensen was chosen. He was president again in 2016.[8]