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Former health minister Nørby to challenge Støjberg for Denmark Liberal deputy leadership

The Local Denmark
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Former health minister Nørby to challenge Støjberg for Denmark Liberal deputy leadership
Ellen Trane Nørby in January this year. Photo: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix

Former minister Ellen Trane Nørby on Monday announced her candidacy for the deputy leader position with the Venstre (Liberal) party.

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The leadership of the party, the largest on Denmark’s right, is up for grabs after former PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen and deputy Kristian Jensen recently announced their resignations.

With Jakob Ellemann-Jensen expected to take over as leader, Støjberg, an outspoken former minister of immigration and integration, was the only contender for the deputy position until Nørby’s announcement on Monday.

The former minister for health told Jydske Vestkysten she would do a better job of uniting the party than Støjberg, after infighting following the loss of the general election in June.

READ ALSO: Foreign doctors must meet Danish language standards: Nørby

Nørby also detailed her decision in a long social media post.

“The absolute most important task for the new Liberal leadership is to unite the party. It’s a huge job. I want to be part of fulfilling that task,” she wrote on Facebook.

The new leader and deputy leader will be voted for by members at the Liberal party extraordinary national congress on September 21st.

“This means that Liberal members and delegates will have the opportunity to choose the profile of their deputy leader,” Nørby told Jydske Vestkysten.

Prior to taking on the ministerial portfolio for health, Nørby also served as minister for children and education and minister for equality.

Some elements of the party may see her as a safer option than Støjberg, who is set to face a parliamentary inquiry into an illegal 2016 directive issued when she was immigration minister.

READ ALSO: Former immigration minister Støjberg to face renewed scrutiny in official inquiry

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