{{short description|Danish politician}} {{Use dmy dates |date=December 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = File:Rasmus Prehn 2012 Folkemødet Bornholm (cropped).jpg | caption = Prehn at Folkemødet in 2012 | name = Rasmus Prehn | office = Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries | prime_minister = Mette Frederiksen | term_start = 19 November 2020 | term_end = 15 December 2022 | predecessor = Mogens Jensen | successor = Jacob Jensen | office1 = Minister for Development Cooperation | term_start1 = 27 June 2019 | term_end1 = 19 November 2020 | prime_minister1 = Mette Frederiksen | predecessor1 = Ulla Tørnæs | successor1 = Flemming Møller Mortensen | office2 = Member of the Folketing | term_start2 = 8 February 2005 | term_end2 = 27 February 2025 | successor2 = Morten Klessen | constituency2 = North Jutland | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|6|18|df=y}} | birth_place = Høje-Taastrup, Denmark | death_date = | resting_place = | alma_mater = Aalborg University, University of Leeds | party = Social Democrats | other_party = | spouse = | children = 3 }}
'''Rasmus Prehn''' (born 18 June 1973) is a Danish politician who has been a member of the Folketing since the 2005 Danish general election. He served as Minister for Development Cooperation from 2019 to 2020, and as Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries from 2020 to 2022.
==Background== Prehn was born in Høje-Taastrup to Flemming Prehn and Birte Hanne Prehn, and is married to Heidi Linnemann Prehn.<ref name=":0" /> He studied at Aalborg University and the University of Leeds, graduating with a Master's degree in social science.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Rasmus Prehn / The Danish Parliament |url=https://www.thedanishparliament.dk/members/Rasmus-Prehn |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=The Danish Parliament}}</ref>
==Political career== Prehn has been a member of Folketinget for the Social Democrats since the 2005 national elections. During his time in parliament, he served as chairman of the Committee on Research, Education and Further Education.
Prehn was appointed Minister for Development Cooperation in the Frederiksen Cabinet on 27 June 2019.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Deleuran Müller|first1=Thea|title=Danmarks nye regering er nu på plads: Se hele Mette Frederiksens ministerhold her |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/danmarks-nye-regering-er-nu-paa-plads-se-hele-mette-frederiksens-ministerhold-her |website=dr.dk |language=da|access-date=3 July 2019|date=27 June 2019}}</ref> In this capacity, he pledged a total of US$51 million in contributions of Denmark to Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for the 2020-2022 period.<ref>{{cite web |title=Denmark Increases Pledge in Fight Against Epidemics |url=https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/2019-10-07-denmark-increases-pledge-in-fight-against-epidemics/ |website=Theglobalfund.org |access-date=18 August 2021}}</ref>
In 2022 it was revealed that Prehn had essentially committed embezzlement, by using his ministerial credit card, to pay for a dinner in 2020. When asked, he lied about it, and stated that the dinner had been with journalist Søren Wormslevs. Wormslevs denied ever having dined with Prehn, and Prehn later confirmed he had never dined with Wormslevs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-06 |title=Minister skrev galt navn på regning – kan ikke forklare bilagsfejl - TV 2 |url=https://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2022-07-06-minister-skrev-galt-navn-pa-regning-kan-ikke-forklare-bilagsfejl |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=nyheder.tv2.dk |language=da-DK}}</ref> As a result of the scandal, the state accountants decided that all ministers use of their ministerial credit cards from 2015 and onward was to be investigated. Prehn said it saddened him that he had contributed to the investigation being launched. He was however never convicted of a crime, due to the immunity politicians have in regards to indictments.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-20 |title=Ministres brug af kreditkort skal undersøges: Det ærgrer mig, at jeg er årsagen, siger Prehn - TV 2 |url=https://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2022-09-20-ministres-brug-af-kreditkort-skal-undersoeges-det-aergrer-mig-at-jeg-er-aarsagen |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=nyheder.tv2.dk |language=da-DK}}</ref>
Also in 2022, Prehn was re-elected as Member of the Folketing, though with only a third of the votes he got in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-03 |title=Socialdemokratiet gik frem - men flere ministre får hug af vælgerne |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/folketingsvalg/socialdemokratiet-gik-frem-men-flere-ministre-faar-hug-af-vaelgerne |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=DR |language=da-DK}}</ref> He was subsequently replaced as Minister for Development Cooperation by Jacob Jensen.
In February 2025, he announced he would resign from his Folketing seat to become the director of the Organic Association.<ref>{{Cite web | last1=Eller | first1=Emil | date=2025-02-24 |title= Socialdemokrat forlader Folketinget |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/socialdemokrat-forlader-folketinget-0 |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=DR |language=da-DK}}</ref> The organization is heavily supported with 30-40 mill DKK per year by grants from the Socialdemocratic lead government indicating the position being a "patronage appointment", a practice commonly seen in Danish politics dominated by the Social Democrats.
== Personal life == Prehn has three children.<ref name=":0" /> One of his children, Nikoline Prehn (born 2002), is also a member of the Social Democrats, and was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2022 election.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bagge |first=Christoffer |date=2022-11-03 |title=Prehns datter kommer ikke i Folketinget |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/politik/prehns-datter-kommer-ikke-i-folketinget |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=Berlingske.dk |language=da}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.ft.dk/medlemmer/mf/r/rasmus-prehn Biography on the website of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget)]
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Ulla Tørnæs}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister for Development Cooperation|years=2019–2020}} {{s-aft|after=Flemming Møller Mortensen}} |- {{s-bef|before=Mogens Jensen}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries|years=2020–}} {{s-aft|after=Incumbent}} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Prehn, Rasmus}} Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:People from Høje-Taastrup Municipality Category:Government ministers of Denmark Category:Social Democrats (Denmark) politicians Category:Members of the Folketing 2005–2007 Category:Members of the Folketing 2007–2011 Category:Members of the Folketing 2011–2015 Category:Members of the Folketing 2015–2019 Category:Members of the Folketing 2019–2022 Category:Members of the Folketing 2022–2026 Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds