ANOTHER MINISTER GOES (2)

Denmark's Government lost another Minister yesterday, its Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal. Admittedly it was because of health problems. Mr. Søvndal had suffered a minor heart attack a month or so ago and was on sick leave, and took his doctor's advice that he should stop for good, not only at the Foreign Office but also in Parliament. Nevertheless, it was the second ministerial resignation in three days and the third within a short period of time, leaving Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt with a difficult reshuffle, and an overriding impression amongst voters that the government is pretty rudderless.

In the three-party coalition the Foreign Ministry belongs to the Socialists. The problem is that they didn't want to give it up, but the party lacks an obvious candidate with the necessary pondus to take it over. Former party leader Holger K. Nielsen came out of retirement a year ago to become Tax Minister; now he has moved up to take on the Foreign Office, despite having been a leading campaigner against the Maastricht Treaty back in 1992.

The Prime Minister insists that this is the last reshuffle before the next election, but she has to say that. Whether it is or not remains to be seen. Personally, I have to say I doubt it.

Walter Blotscher