Foreign minister recovering after heart surgery

Villy Søvndal was treated in a Copenhagen hospital for a blood clot in his heart but is expected to return to work soon

Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal (Socialistisk Folkeparti) is recovering this morning after undergoing surgery for a blood clot in his heart yesterday, the Foreign Ministry stated.

The operation at the Copenhagen hospital Rigshospital was reportedly successful and Søvndal is expected to soon return to work.

Søvndal's political colleagues lined up to express their support for him, among them PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt (Socialdemokraterne).

Messages of support
“I am relieved that Villy Søvndal is, under the circumstances, feeling well after his surgery for a blood clot,” Thorning-Schmidt wrote on Facebook. “I am looking forward to getting our foreign minister back.”

The leader of the opposition, Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Venstre), also expressed his support.

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“I wish Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal a speedy recovery and all the best following his blood clot,” he wrote on Facebook. “Good thing he was in Denmark, because the heart surgeons at Rigshospital are extremely good.”




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