Annette Lilja Vilhelmsen is a Danish politician who was Minister for Social Affairs and Integration for a short period from medio 2013 to primo 2014 and who was Minister for Economic and Business Affairs from 2012 to 2013, both times in the Cabinet of Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
Career
In September 2012 she announced her candidacy for the post as head of the Socialist People"s Party running against Astrid Krag after the previous leader Villy Søvndal stepped down. Vilhelmsen is said to represent the party"s left wing. On 16 October 2012 she was named new Minister of Economic and Business Affairs succeeding Ole Sohn.
She retracted from both her post as Minister and chairman of the party on January 30, 2014 following lack of support from the party grassroots in the high-profile case of selling part of Danish energy company DONG to American Goldman-Sachs.
Politics
Born in Svendborg, she was educated as a teacher and had a long career in teaching combined with local politics before entering the national political scene when she was elected to Parliament in the 2011 elections. She became her party"s spokeswoman for Business related issues.
Membership
She is a member of Parliament of Denmark and was the chairwoman of the Socialist People"s Party (San Francisco) from 2012 to 2014.