Pia Kjærsgaard
A former social worker who reshaped Danish politics by founding a powerful anti-immigration party and becoming the first female Speaker of Parliament.
Born 1947 (age 79)·Danish politician·Birthday: February 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Pia Kjærsgaard emerged from the grassroots of Copenhagen's social services to become one of the most consequential and polarizing figures in modern Danish politics. Working as a social care assistant, her frustration with the system crystallized into a potent political vision. In 1995, she broke from the Progress Party to co-found the Danish People's Party (DF), channeling populist sentiment on immigration and national identity into a disciplined political force. Under her steely, uncompromising leadership for over two decades, the DF never formally entered government but wielded enormous influence, pushing mainstream parties rightward on key policies. Her success culminated in her election as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Folketing, a role she performed with stern impartiality. Kjærsgaard's journey from the margins to the center of power permanently altered the landscape of Scandinavian social democracy.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Pia was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Pia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Pia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded and served as the first leader of the Danish People's Party (DF) from 1995 to 2012, building it into a major parliamentary force.
- Became the first female Speaker of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget), serving from 2015 to 2019.
- Her party's platform fundamentally shifted Danish immigration policy and influenced the national political consensus.
- Served as a Member of Parliament continuously from 1984, first for the Progress Party and then for the DF.
Did You Know?
She worked as a social care assistant (social- og sundhedshjælper) before entering politics full-time.
She is an avid knitter and was often photographed knitting during parliamentary sessions.
She published a memoir titled 'Sådan set' ('All Things Considered') in 2015.
Despite her hardline public image, colleagues noted she was polite and had a dry sense of humor in private.
““I have always said what I think. And I think what I say.””
