Denmark - Leadership

Fogh has long been an advocate of introducing free-market reforms to both the Danish economy and to the Danish state, particularly its generous welfare programs. He is the author of From Social State to Minimal State , a book published in 1993. In it he makes the point, which he also emphasized throughout the 2001 campaign, that Danes pay the highest taxes in the world. He promised to institute a tax freeze immediately upon assuming power. He also spoke forcefully on immigration, a hotly debated topic in much of Western Europe, particularly in ethnically homogenous nations like Denmark. The far-right Danish People's Party, only founded in 1995, took a very hard line on immigrants, as have similar parties in Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands. Fogh took a middle line on the issue, saying he was not opposed to immigration but wanted to make it more difficult for immigrants to be granted residence, and to extend to seven years the period immigrants must wait before receiving welfare benefits. The other major issues he campaigned on were crime prevention, support for the retired, and lessening the waiting time for certain medical procedures.