Background
Helle Thorning-Schmidt was born on December 14, 1966, in Rødovre, Denmark. She is the daughter of Holger and Grete Thorning-Schmidt. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old.
2016
566 LaGuardia Pl, New York, NY 10012, United States
Former Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Former Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard attend 2016 Global Citizen: The World On Stage at the Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts on September 22, 2016.
2011
Rue de la Loi 175, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then Denmark's Prime Minister, speaks to the media while arriving to attend a working dinner as part of a two-day summit of European Leaders at the European Council headquarters in Brussels on December 8, 2011.
2012
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Then Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt and her husband Stephen Kinnock arrive for a reception at Buckingham Palace for Heads of State and Government attending the Olympics Opening Ceremony on July 27, 2012.
2005
Copenhagen, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then newly elected chairman of the Social Democratic Party, in Copenhagen on April 12, 2005.
2005
Then newly elected chairman of the Social Democrats, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, visited the amusement park with her whole family on May 5, 2005.
2006
Prins Jørgens Gård 5, 1218 København, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt at a birthday reception at Christiansborg on December 14, 2006. Her husband Steven Kinnock and daughter Johanna also attended the reception.
2007
Copenhagen, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then leader of the Social Democratic Party, arrives for a press conference in Copenhagen on November 9, 2007.
2007
Copenhagen, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then leader of the Social Democratic Party, casts her vote in the ballot box at the polling station in Copenhagen, Denmark, on November 13, 2007.
2007
London, United Kingdom
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then leader of the Social Democratic Party in Denmark, speaks at a conference in London on January 18, 2007.
2007
Copenhagen, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then leader of the Social Democratic Party, gestures during a press conference in Copenhagen on November 9, 2007.
2010
Manchester, United Kingdom
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then leader of the Danish Social Democrats, delivers a speech to delegates on the fourth day of the Labour Party conference on September 29, 2010.
2011
Skindergade 7, 1159 København, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then Opposition leader, listens during a news conference at the International Press Center in Copenhagen on September 13, 2011.
2011
Then Prime Minister of Denmark, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, is welcomed by then President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy.
2011
Prins Jørgens Gård 5, 1218 København, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt took over the office from Lars Lokke Rasmussen with a ceremony in Mirror Hall.
2011
Arni Magnussons Gade 2, 1577 København, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then Social Democratic Party leader and incoming Prime Minister of Denmark at a press lunch with the Danish National Press Club.
2011
Rue de la Loi 175, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then Denmark's Prime Minister, speaks to the media while arriving to attend a working dinner as part of a two-day summit of European Leaders at the European Council headquarters in Brussels on December 8, 2011.
2012
Prins Jørgens Gård 5, 1218 København, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt and her husband attend a Gala Dinner to celebrate Queen Margrethe II of Denmark's 40 years on the throne at Christiansborg Palace Chapel on January 15, 2012.
2012
Talstrasse 49a, 7270 Davos Platz, Switzerland
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then Denmark's Prime Minister, arrives for a meeting of global leaders at the Congress Center during day three of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 27, 2012.
2012
Prins Jørgens Gård 5, 1218 København, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt holds her weekly press conference at Mirror Hall office at Christiansborg on April 10, 2012.
2012
Then Prime Minister of Denmark, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, holds a news conference after a tripartite social summit.
2012
Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Then Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt and her husband Stephen Kinnock arrive for a reception at Buckingham Palace for Heads of State and Government attending the Olympics Opening Ceremony on July 27, 2012.
2013
Davos, Switzerland
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then Prime Minister of Denmark, pauses during a television interview on day two of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 24, 2013.
2014
1 Willy Brandt Avenue, Tiergarten
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, then Prime Minister of Denmark, speaks during a news conference at the Chancellery in Berlin on June 19, 2014.
2015
Copenhagen, Denmark
Then Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, her husband Stephen Kinnock, and Danish Crown Prince Frederik attend a memorial service for the shooting victims near Krudtoenden where the first shooting took place, on February 16, 2015.
2016
Frederiksborg Slot, 3400 Hillerød, Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Jonathan Yeo unveil the first official portrait of the former Danish Prime Minister during the 'Jonathan Yeo Portraits' exhibition opening at the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle on March 19, 2016.
2016
566 LaGuardia Pl, New York, NY 10012, United States
Former Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Former Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard attend 2016 Global Citizen: The World On Stage at the Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts on September 22, 2016.
2018
New York City, New York, United States
Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Princess Beatrice of York attend Book Launch Party For "AI Superpowers" by Kai-Fu Lee, at Private Residence, on September 25, 2018.
2019
Lagonissi, Greece
Helle Thorning-Schmidt during the 23rd Economist Roundtable with the Government of Greece in Lagonissi on July 16, 2019.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt with her husband, Stephen Kinnock.
Vejlebrovej 65, 2635 Ishøj, Denmark
Sydkysten Gymnasium where Helle Thorning-Schmidt studied.
Nørregade 10, 1165 København, Denmark
The University of Copenhagen where Helle Thorning-Schmidt received a Master of Science in Political Science degree in 1994.
Dijver 11, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
The College of Europe where Helle Thorning-Schmidt studied from 1992 to 1993.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt was born on December 14, 1966, in Rødovre, Denmark. She is the daughter of Holger and Grete Thorning-Schmidt. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt attended Ishøj Gymnasium (now Sydkysten Gymnasium) from which she graduated in 1985. She studied at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, where she received a master's degree in European studies. Thorning-Schmidt also attended the University of Copenhagen where she received a Master of Science in Political Science degree in 1994.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt started her career in 1994 when she became an administrator for the Danish Social Democratic Party's delegation to the European Parliament. She held this post until 1997 and then became an international consultant with the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions. In 1999, Thorning-Schmidt was appointed a member of the European Parliament for Denmark and held this post until 2004. She was elected to the European Parliament as a member of the Party of European Socialists. During the five-year term, she was a member of the Employment and Social Committee. On April 11, 2005, Helle Thorning-Schmidt was elected to the Danish Parliament and held this post until 2011. On April 12, 2005, she became Leader of the Opposition and held this post until 2011. Thorning-Schmidt took the post of Prime Minister of Denmark on October 3, 2011. She held this post until June 28, 2015.
After her political career, Thorning-Schmidt moved on to join Save the Children International as the second chief executive in 2016 and held this post until 2019. She oversaw humanitarian and development programs that reach 55 million children in around 120 countries. In 2020, Thorning-Schmidt was appointed as a member of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development at the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe. She continues to offer her expertise and insights to several influential international advisory groups and think-tanks as a board member. These groups include the International Crisis Group, Every Child Global Strategy UN Advisory Group, the Centre for Global Development European Advisory Group, and the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt has been baptized into the Church of Denmark. However, she is not confirmed. She occasionally goes to church but does not believe in eternal life, salvation, heaven, or hell.
Helle Thorning-Schmid joined the Social Democratic Party during her studies in Belgium in 1993. As a Leader of the Social Democrats in the 2007 election, she promised to relax restrictions on asylum seekers and immigrants. She also opposed tax cuts announced by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, instead stating she would like to see more funding for welfare. Although the Party suffered considerable losses in the 2007 election to the ruling Liberal-Conservative coalition, Thorning-Schmidt remained its Leader.
When Helle Thorning-Schmidt became Prime Minister, she promised to raise taxes on Denmark's banks and its wealthiest citizens, to increase social spending, and to roll back the stringent restraints on immigration initiated by the previous government. She also proposed extending the workday by 12 minutes. Helle Thorning-Schmidt struggled in 2012, as she steered her sometimes volatile coalition through a tough program of tax and unemployment-benefit reforms, public spending cuts, and measures to balance the state budget by 2020. On August 9 and December 12, 2013, amid tensions between coalition partners, Thorning-Schmidt made cabinet reshuffles. However, leading economists commended the government's economic policy. The budgets have been so strong that Denmark now belongs among the international elite.
Thorning-Schmidt presided over the successful conclusion of NATO's strike missions in Libya in 2013.
On January 30, 2014, the Socialist People's Party announced their departure from Thorning-Schmidt's government due to a conflict over the proposed sale of DONG Energy shares to Goldman Sachs. The departure of the Socialist People's Party led to the formation of a minority Social Democratic-Social Liberal Party government with control of only about one-third of the seats in the Parliament. This led to the sixth cabinet reshuffle of Thorning-Schmidt's 29 months in power to date.
In mid-February 2015, Denmark was rocked by a pair of terrorist attacks. Thorning-Schmidt responded with a statement in which she said that the attack on Denmark's Jewish minority was an attack on all of Denmark.
Thorning-Schmidt led her Party into the 2015 general election in which her party increased its share of votes and seats. However, the Social Liberals lost nine seats, leaving the left bloc without enough support to remain in office.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt is a strong champion of women's and girls' rights. She continues to remain passionate about women's empowerment.
Quotations:
"We have the opportunity to change Denmark - that opportunity must be seized."
"Without growth, we can't pay down our debt, and without growth, there's no money for welfare."
"We did it. Make no mistake: We have written history. Today there's a change of guards in Denmark."
"People want to make sacrifices but they don't want to be sacrificed."
Those who know Helle Thorning-Schmidt say that she is a courageous woman with strong charisma and a forceful personality.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt married Welsh politician Stephen Kinnock in 1996. The marriage produced two daughters. The family has been living in Kilburn, London since Thorning-Schmidt became CEO of Save the Children, whilst also spending time at Kinnock's constituency in Port Talbot.