Klaus Berntsen

Klaus Berntsen ( born June 12, 1844 in Eskilstrup, † March 27, 1927 in Copenhagen) was a Danish politician and Prime Minister.

Career

After attending school, he completed a teaching degree, where he was influenced by the ideas of Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig, the founder of the Danish folk high school movement ( folkehøjskoler ). Later he became head of the Community College of Bogense on Funen itself. In addition, he was from 1880 to 1887 editor of the daily newspaper founded in 1872, and Funen Tidende from 1893 to 1895 the newspaper Friskolens Tidende. Most recently, he was from 1897 to 1908 director of a credit union.

Political career

Longtime deputy

Berntsen took an early part in political life, however, was in the early years, despite its popular agitation without special influence within the Liberal Party ( Venstre ), but only in local politics. After the founding of the Moderate Party (Det Moderate Venstre ), he joined in 1880 to this group about.

In 1873 he was first elected Members of Parliament the Folketing, to which he belonged, first as a representative of the constituency Bogense to 1884. Two years later he was re-elected Members of the Folketing, in which he for forty years until 1926, the constituency represented Assen. With 51 years he has been the deputy Parliament with the longest so far belonging to the Danish Parliament.

Minister and Prime Minister from 1910 to 1913

In particular, after the merger of the Moderate Party and the Liberal Party Venstre in 1910, he gained increasing influence. He was interior minister in the cabinets of Niels Neergaard and Ludvig Holstein - Ledreborg From October 1908 to October.

On 5 July 1910, he was King Frederick VIII, who was his personal friend, the head of government ( Konseilspræsident ) appointed. In his reigning until June 13, 1913 Cabinet, he also assumed the post of defense minister.

Precisely because of the personal friendship his government enjoyed the special support of the king. After his death and succession by King Christian X. However, criticism of the government was loud, in particular the neglect of social issues was denounced. Still in 1913, he promised a revision of the Constitution, but was previously replaced as Prime Minister by Carl Theodor Zahle.

He was most recently on May 5, 1920 to October 9, 1922 second cabinet Neergard again defense minister.