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Barack Obama selfie: All hail the Danish prime minister
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By Emma Pearce4:14PM GMT 11 Dec 2013
If you were sat next to Barack Obama, (never mind David Cameron), wouldn't you try and get a selfie like Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Denmark's first female prime Minister?Emma Pearce*thinks other politicians could learn from her informal style
Helle Thorning-Schmidt*is into breaking down barriers. Not content with becoming the first female prime minister in Denmark, yesterday she enjoyed another first: creating the very first ‘selfie’ of the special relationship in action (with her sandwiched in the middle). Never*before has the Anglo-American relationship been recorded via selfie*– unless I suspect a significant amount of alcohol has been quaffed by both Mr Cameron and Mr Obama.
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All three naughty leaders have endured a decent ribbing the media for their cheeky antics. It was a memorial service after all. Did Ms Thorning-Schmidt not get the memo? A grim-faced Michelle Obama certainly did.
But anyone who knows the Danish premier probably won’t be surprised by her playful actions. She has already moved to defend her photo,*telling Danish Berlingske newspaper: “The atmosphere was of course melancholic, but ultimately it was a celebration of a man who lived to be 95 years old, and who managed to accomplish so much in his life.
“There was dancing on the stands and singing and dancing, so the mood was positive. And then we took a really fun selfie.”
She added: “Lots of photos were taken that day. Lots of photos were taken of Obama, and I think it was just a little fun. It also shows that even when leaders meet, we are also normal people who have a good time together.”
So what can British politicians learn from the woman who governs the country of Borgen,*happiness*and bacon? And was the selfie really all that bad?
After two years in office, opinion is split as to how successful Mrs Thorning-Schmidt’s leadership has been.
As an outsider looking in, Denmark seems to me like a beacon of economic prosperity and happiness and so maybe some this success comes down to the country’s fun-loving Prime Minister? After all the selfie shows her behaving like a pretty regular and likeable person; y’know sandwiched between two world leaders (like you do). I also hasten to add that it was also a celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life – not his funeral – and us plebs do often take selfies at big stadium events.
She also has previous form, as Danes will know if they remember*the film of her approaching Sex and the City actress Sarah Jessica Parker earlier this year*and saying: “I’m the Danish Prime Minister… please can I have your autograph?”
Ms Thorning-Schmidt seems dynamic, full of energy and importantly, like a normal person. This is a world away from British leaders who appear boring and dull in comparison. Do we want our leaders to be more like real people whilst also introducing necessary and hard-hitting measures?
Interestingly in Denmark she isn’t seen as a fun-loving leader but instead one who has strayed from her party and implemented challenging policies. One method she has explored to achieve this is to introduce a rule whereby employees must work for 12 minutes extra each day, equating to one extra hour of productivity across the week.
This approach has led top economists to label the cause of the rise in Danish consumer confidence as the ‘Helle Effect’. Some claim that a rise in the national economy and personal finances can be attributed to the Prime Minister’s ability to boost optimism in the country.
“It is possible that good news, such as the end to the recession in the Eurozone and announcements from people such as Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt that the crisis is ending, has had a decisive effect,” Helge Pedersen, the head of economic research for Nordea bank, has written.
However, Ms Thorning-Schmidt’s leadership hasn’t been well-received by all in her country. Peter Stanners, a senior journalist at*The Copenhagen Post, tells me that she is seen as “out of date”. She has been dubbed ‘Gucci Helle’ due to her penchant for designer handbags and clothes – an indulgence her opponents claim is far from establishing her as a fashion icon but instead is seen to be undermining the core principles of her socialist political party.
Mr Stanners describes her as “quirky, divisive and embarrassing” and that the people of Denmark let out a “collective groan” when she was seen asking Sarah Jessica Parker for her autograph earlier this year. I can only imagine how the same folk will feel about this selfie.
Christoffer Green-Pedersen, a professor of Political Science at Aarhus University in Denmark, explains that Danes don’t have the same attitude as we have in the UK, that politicians are all money grabbing, as historically they haven’t been particularly rich.
And when asked if Borgen, the hit political drama based in Denmark, is reflective of how politics works in Denmark he tells me that it “fairly well represents how we view politicians and we do feel that they listen to us to a large extent”.
But the Danes do care much more than we do about electing their leader. In Denmark’s most recent election, voter turnout was a whopping 88 per cent whereas the 2010 election in the UK saw just 65 per cent of people casting their vote.
Mr Green-Pedersen points out that the reason behind this is that “people are still critical but they still want to participate because they feel that their vote still counts.
“There is a strong belief in political systems but not in politicians.”
So it seems Ms Thorning-Schmidt's has divided opinion yet again. For some, her selfie shows how a leader can get the balance of having fun and being a normal person right; while in Denmark many aren’t so sure and see her instead as an ineffective leader and an embarrassment.
Me personally? I don’t find her actions awkward at all. I mean, if you were sat next to Barack Obama wouldn’t you be trying to take a selfie too? I didn't see Mr Cameron wanting to be left out of the picture...
Emma Pearce is a second year politics student at the University of Nottingham. Follow her on Twitter@EmmaPearcee
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/wom...-minister.html
1/3
By Emma Pearce4:14PM GMT 11 Dec 2013
If you were sat next to Barack Obama, (never mind David Cameron), wouldn't you try and get a selfie like Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Denmark's first female prime Minister?Emma Pearce*thinks other politicians could learn from her informal style
Helle Thorning-Schmidt*is into breaking down barriers. Not content with becoming the first female prime minister in Denmark, yesterday she enjoyed another first: creating the very first ‘selfie’ of the special relationship in action (with her sandwiched in the middle). Never*before has the Anglo-American relationship been recorded via selfie*– unless I suspect a significant amount of alcohol has been quaffed by both Mr Cameron and Mr Obama.
RELATED ARTICLES
Barack Obama 'selfie': who is Helle Thorning-Schmidt?
'Gender apartheid' is real in UK universities. So why aren't more people fighting it?
Lulu app: Why women's sexist behaviour towards men needs to end
All three naughty leaders have endured a decent ribbing the media for their cheeky antics. It was a memorial service after all. Did Ms Thorning-Schmidt not get the memo? A grim-faced Michelle Obama certainly did.
But anyone who knows the Danish premier probably won’t be surprised by her playful actions. She has already moved to defend her photo,*telling Danish Berlingske newspaper: “The atmosphere was of course melancholic, but ultimately it was a celebration of a man who lived to be 95 years old, and who managed to accomplish so much in his life.
“There was dancing on the stands and singing and dancing, so the mood was positive. And then we took a really fun selfie.”
She added: “Lots of photos were taken that day. Lots of photos were taken of Obama, and I think it was just a little fun. It also shows that even when leaders meet, we are also normal people who have a good time together.”
So what can British politicians learn from the woman who governs the country of Borgen,*happiness*and bacon? And was the selfie really all that bad?
After two years in office, opinion is split as to how successful Mrs Thorning-Schmidt’s leadership has been.
As an outsider looking in, Denmark seems to me like a beacon of economic prosperity and happiness and so maybe some this success comes down to the country’s fun-loving Prime Minister? After all the selfie shows her behaving like a pretty regular and likeable person; y’know sandwiched between two world leaders (like you do). I also hasten to add that it was also a celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life – not his funeral – and us plebs do often take selfies at big stadium events.
She also has previous form, as Danes will know if they remember*the film of her approaching Sex and the City actress Sarah Jessica Parker earlier this year*and saying: “I’m the Danish Prime Minister… please can I have your autograph?”
Ms Thorning-Schmidt seems dynamic, full of energy and importantly, like a normal person. This is a world away from British leaders who appear boring and dull in comparison. Do we want our leaders to be more like real people whilst also introducing necessary and hard-hitting measures?
Interestingly in Denmark she isn’t seen as a fun-loving leader but instead one who has strayed from her party and implemented challenging policies. One method she has explored to achieve this is to introduce a rule whereby employees must work for 12 minutes extra each day, equating to one extra hour of productivity across the week.
This approach has led top economists to label the cause of the rise in Danish consumer confidence as the ‘Helle Effect’. Some claim that a rise in the national economy and personal finances can be attributed to the Prime Minister’s ability to boost optimism in the country.
“It is possible that good news, such as the end to the recession in the Eurozone and announcements from people such as Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt that the crisis is ending, has had a decisive effect,” Helge Pedersen, the head of economic research for Nordea bank, has written.
However, Ms Thorning-Schmidt’s leadership hasn’t been well-received by all in her country. Peter Stanners, a senior journalist at*The Copenhagen Post, tells me that she is seen as “out of date”. She has been dubbed ‘Gucci Helle’ due to her penchant for designer handbags and clothes – an indulgence her opponents claim is far from establishing her as a fashion icon but instead is seen to be undermining the core principles of her socialist political party.
Mr Stanners describes her as “quirky, divisive and embarrassing” and that the people of Denmark let out a “collective groan” when she was seen asking Sarah Jessica Parker for her autograph earlier this year. I can only imagine how the same folk will feel about this selfie.
Christoffer Green-Pedersen, a professor of Political Science at Aarhus University in Denmark, explains that Danes don’t have the same attitude as we have in the UK, that politicians are all money grabbing, as historically they haven’t been particularly rich.
And when asked if Borgen, the hit political drama based in Denmark, is reflective of how politics works in Denmark he tells me that it “fairly well represents how we view politicians and we do feel that they listen to us to a large extent”.
But the Danes do care much more than we do about electing their leader. In Denmark’s most recent election, voter turnout was a whopping 88 per cent whereas the 2010 election in the UK saw just 65 per cent of people casting their vote.
Mr Green-Pedersen points out that the reason behind this is that “people are still critical but they still want to participate because they feel that their vote still counts.
“There is a strong belief in political systems but not in politicians.”
So it seems Ms Thorning-Schmidt's has divided opinion yet again. For some, her selfie shows how a leader can get the balance of having fun and being a normal person right; while in Denmark many aren’t so sure and see her instead as an ineffective leader and an embarrassment.
Me personally? I don’t find her actions awkward at all. I mean, if you were sat next to Barack Obama wouldn’t you be trying to take a selfie too? I didn't see Mr Cameron wanting to be left out of the picture...
Emma Pearce is a second year politics student at the University of Nottingham. Follow her on Twitter@EmmaPearcee
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/wom...-minister.html
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