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Here is Denmark's new coalition government

The Local Denmark
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Here is Denmark's new coalition government
The PM formally presented his new 22-member cabinet to the queen on Monday. Photo: Thomas Lekfeldt/Scanpix

PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen presented his new 22-person cabinet on Monday.

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After announcing on Sunday that he had shored up his minority government by bringing in the libertarian-leaning Liberal Alliance (LA) and the Conservative People's Party, PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen presented his new team on Monday. 
 
Rasmussen presented a 22-member cabinet that includes six posts for LA and three for the Conservatives. Under the new constellation, a number of high profile politicians swapped portfolio and a handful of veteran politicians were left without a job. 
 
Rasmussen's centre-right Venstre party has held only 34 out of 179 seats in parliament since June 2015. Under the new coalition, the government remains in the minority, with 53 seats, and will depend on the support of the anti-immigration Danish People's Party (DF) in parliament to pass legislation.
 
Here is the breakdown of the new government. 
 
Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Venstre)
The new team he presented on Monday represents Rasmussen’s third cabinet, as he also served as prime minister between 2009 and 2011.
 
Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen (Liberal Alliance)
Samuelsen replaces Kristian Jensen, who now becomes Finance Minister. The appointment is somewhat surprising, as many figured Samuelsen would be given a financial post. 
 
Justice Minister Søren Pape Poulsen (Conservatives)
Poulsen replaces Søren Pind of Venstre, who moves over to become the minister for higher education and research.
 
Finance Minister Kristian Jensen (Venstre)
By replacing veteran Venstre man Claus Hjort Frederiksen as one of the most important ministers on Rasmussen’s team, political analysts say that 45-year-old Jensen has all but shored up his position as the eventual next leader of Venstre. 
 
Defence Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen (Venstre)
Frederiksen’s demotion to the defence ministry means another farewell to politics for Peter Christensen, who was tapped in September 2015 to replace the scandal-plagued Carl Holst.
 
Business Minister Brian Mikkelsen (Conservatives)
Mikkelsen replaces Venstre’s Troels Lund Poulsen, who becomes the new employment minister. 
 
Minister for the Economy and Interior Simon Emil Ammitzbøll (Liberal Alliance)
The LA political group leader fills a newly-reinstated position that had been eliminated when Rasmussen’s small minority government took power in June 2015.
 
Development Minister Ulla Tørnæs (Venstre)
Tørnæs leaves her post as the higher education and research minister to be in charge of international development, an area that previously fell under the foreign minister’s role. 
 
Employment Minister Troels Lund Poulsen (Venstre)
Poulsen replaces Jørn Neergaard Larsen, one of four Venstre politicians to lose their ministerial posts in the government shake-up/
 
Integration Inger Støjberg (Venstre)
No change here as the hardline and very popular Støjberg remains in charge of the nation’s immigration policies. 
 
Minister for Equality and Nordic Co-operation Karen Ellemann (Venstre)
Ellemann leaves her post as the minister for social affairs and the interior and instead takes over the equality portfolio, which has been separated out from under the Education Ministry. 
 
Higher Education and Research Minister Søren Pind (Venstre)
Pind, who fancied himself ‘Denmark’s sheriff’, now says he is the nation’s ‘future minister’.
 
Energy and Climate Lars Christian Lilleholt (Venstre)
No change
 
Health Minister Ellen Trane Nørby (Venstre)
Nørby takes over for Sophie Løhde, who will now be the newly-created minister for public innovation.
 
Minister for Public Innovation Sophie Løhde (Venstre)
A newly-created position that takes on some of the previous finance minister’s duties. 
 
Tax Minister Karsten Lauritzen (Venstre)
No change
 
Environment and Food Minister Esben Lunde Larsen (Venstre)
No change
 
Children and Social Affairs Minister Mai Mercado (Conservatives)
Mercado becomes the only female Conservative minister.
 
Education Minister Merete Riisager (Liberal Alliance)
A new position created by breaking out the responsibilities of the former minister for children, education and equality. 
 
Culture Minister Mette Bock (Liberal Alliance)
Bock replaces Bertel Haarder, the veteran Venstre man who holds the record for the longest-serving minister in Danish history. Haarder is one of the four Venstre politicians to lose a ministerial position in the shake-up. 
 
Transport Minister Ole Birk Olesen (Liberal Alliance)
Olsen replaces Hans Christian Schmidt, another Venstre left out in the cold under the new coalition.
 
Minister for Elder Affairs Thyra Frank (Liberal Alliance)
Frank will fill a new position created by taking over a portfolio that was previously part of the health minister’s job. 

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