Helle Thorning-Schmidt only became the leader of Socialdemokraterne (S) because she is a woman. Her gender is also the only reason that she is Denmark's prime minister.
That's the conclusion drawn by a University of Copenhagen professor in a new book entitled 'Fordi du fortjener det' (Because you deserve it).
"It is completely impossible to imagine that a man with such weak experience and so few trials by fire could be prime minister," the professor, Hans Bonde, told Berlingske newspaper.
But it's not just Thorning-Schmidt, Bonde contends. The health minister, Astrid Krag (Socialistisk Folkeparti), the environment minister, Ida Auken (Socialistisk Folkeparti), and the social minister, Karen Hækkerup (S), also only landed in their positions because of their gender, the 55-year-old professor at the university's sport and nutrition department said.
The female ministers all refused to comment on Bonde's hypothesis, but Kristian Jensen of opposition party Venstre came to the prime minister's deafens.
"This is just simply absurd," Jensen wrote on Facebook. "God knows that [Thorning-Schmidt] hasn't impressed me much, but she has fought hard to reach her position. She has taken more beatings than most people and many of the attacks have come from within her own ranks. But she has stood tall with more backbone than many of her male colleagues."
Jensen added that "politicians should be judged on their opinions and their actions – not by our gender."
