Ulla Tørnæs

Ulla Pedersen Tørnæs (born 4 September 1962) is a Danish politician of the Liberal Party. From 1994 to 2014, she was a member of the Danish parliament (Folketing). She served as Minister for Science, Technology, Information and Higher Education in the Lars Løkke Rasmussen II Cabinet of Denmark from February 2016 to November 2016 and as the Minister for Development Cooperation in the Lars Løkke Rasmussen III Cabinet.

Ulla Tørnæs
Minister for Science, Technology, Information and Higher Education of Denmark
In office
29 February 2016 – 28 November 2016
Preceded byEsben Lunde Larsen
Succeeded bySøren Pind
Minister for Development Cooperation
In office
28 November 2016 – 27 June 2019
Succeeded byRasmus Prehn
Personal details
Born
Ulla Tørnæs

(1962-09-04) 4 September 1962
Esbjerg, Denmark
Political party Danish:
Venstre
 EU:
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Alma mater

Political career

Role in Danish politics

Tørnæs served as Minister for Education in the Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen I (2001–2005) and as Minister for Development Cooperation in the Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen II from 18 February 2005. From 2007, she was a member of the World Bank Group’s High Level Advisory Council on Women's Economic Empowerment, which was chaired by Danny Leipziger and Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul.[1] She was also a member of the Prime Minister’s Commission on Effective Development Cooperation with Africa which held meetings between April and October 2008.[2]

From 2010 until 2016, Tørnæs was a member of the management committee of the Danish Liberal Democracy Programme (DLDP).

Member of the European Parliament, 2014–2016

Tørnæs became a Member of the European Parliament following the 2014 European elections. A member of the ALDE (Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) political faction, she served as Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. In 2015, she was the lead negotiator for the ALDE group on the eCall system.[3]

In addition to her committee assignments, Tørnæs was a member of the parliament’s delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Return to Danish politics

Tørnæs left the European Parliament on 29 February 2016, becoming Minister for Science, Technology, Information and Higher Education in the Lars Løkke Rasmussen II Cabinet, where she proposed the education ceiling. Her successor is Morten Løkkegaard.

From 28 November 2016 until 2019, Tørnæs again served as Minister for Development Cooperation.

Other activities

Controversy

Tørnæs was in the news on 25 February 2005 when it became known that her husband, Jørgen Tørnæs, had illegally employed a Latvian supervisor on one of his pig farms without the required residence and work permits. She was not forced to resign as minister because there was no proof she knew the supervisor was illegally employed.

Personal life

Tørnæs is the daughter of former minister Laurits Tørnæs and Katty Tørnæs.

References
  1. The World Bank Group Advisory Council on Women’s Economic Empowerment World Bank Group, Gender Equality as Smart Economics newsletter, March 2008.
  2. Commission on Effective Development Cooperation with Africa Folketing.
  3. Zoya Sheftalovich (April 29, 2015), eCall emergency system a-calling despite internal objections Politico Europe.
  4. AfDB Annual Report 2017 African Development Bank (AfDB).
  5. Board of Governors Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group.
  6. Board of Governors World Bank.
  7. Biography on the website of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget)
Political offices
Preceded by
Margrethe Vestager		 Education Minister of Denmark
2001–2005		 Succeeded by
Bertel Haarder
Preceded by
Bertel Haarder		 Minister for Development Cooperation of Denmark
2005–2010		 Succeeded by
Søren Pind
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