Jakob Ellemann-Jensen
Men also suffer from the double burden if they take their role as fathers seriously
© MadsxClausxRasmussenx spdk20230801-084044-L / imago images
The Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen was absent for almost six months due to stress – the double burden of family and job had brought his health to his limits. As a man and politician, he is pretty much alone with this admission – but he benefits society by doing so.
Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, 49, retired from politics and public life in February. He justified his move on Facebook with these words:
“I can’t be a father, defense secretary and party leader at the same time if my health is not good.”
He ended his burnout sabbatical yesterday and returned to his Copenhagen office at the Ministry of Defence.
The minister has shown weakness – a brave step
Ellemann-Jensen’s temporary withdrawal from politics was remarkable for two reasons: the minister named his role as a father in the first place, which usually remains invisible in the case of top male personnel. Childcare in the family is still primarily a woman’s job and, at least not so long ago, it was still classified as “women and nonsense” in politics, at least not so long ago. At least as courageous was Ellemann-Jensen’s reference to his mental health, which he wants to protect and which is apparently more important to him than politics and career. The minister has shown weakness, and that is not only an important step in his exposed position.
“A lot of catching up to do”
The psychiatrist Christoph Mittendorf said loudly Deutschlandfunk: “Anyone who is mentally ill is considered to be no longer functioning well, is considered unpredictable and is then no longer welcomed in politics. There is still a lot of catching up to do.”
The step that Ellemann-Jensen took for his health and for his family had previously been dared mainly by women. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, 43, retired from politics in February. You can only do your job when “the tank is full,” she said as a reason, “and you also have a bit of reserve for special challenges”. Now she is looking forward to seeing her daughter start school and finally to her partner Ellemann-Jensen has now shown that men sometimes suffer from the double burden of job and family if they take their role as fathers seriously.
Sources used: Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Instagram