The message from Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, posted on Facebook on February 6, made less noise than the announcements of the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Scotland. Less than a month apart, Jacinda Ardern and Nicola Sturgeon resigned, even before the end of their term. “I know what this job requires. And I know I don’t have enough energy left to do him justice. It’s as simple as that “, explained the first, 42 years old, on January 19, in Wellington. Like an echo, on February 15 in Edinburgh, the second, 52, noted that she would have “could go on for a few months, six months, maybe a year, but [qu’]with time, [elle] will have[t] had less energy to offer to this work”. She made it clear: “I am a human being, in addition to being a politician. »
In office since December 15, 2022, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, 49, only stops temporarily. But the same evil seems to have struck him. In his message, the Danish Minister remarks that he does not ” little[t] not be at the same time father, minister of defense and president of the party if [sa] health is not good”. He does not reveal the condition from which he suffers, but his exhaustion led him to the hospital for examinations at the beginning of the year. He tried to return to work, before realizing that he was not ready: “I have been intensely busy for a long time, he explains. Now my body is sending the signal that it’s time to take a break, if I don’t want it to go wrong. »
In Denmark, this announcement took everyone by surprise. Elected to lead the Liberal Party of Denmark (the Venstre) in September 2019, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen had just reached the peak of his career. Admittedly, not at the head of the government, as he still hoped before the legislative elections of 1er November 2022, but at the direction of the Ministry of Defence, while war resounds at the gates of Europe and Denmark has planned to increase its military expenditure to 2% of gross domestic product in 2030 (from 1.4 % Today).
An epidemic of stress
After the shock of the announcement, a discussion quickly began on this epidemic which seems to have hit Christiansborg – “Borgen” for the Danes –, the seat of power in Copenhagen. Because this burn-out is far from being an isolated case. Henrik Dam Kristensen, Social Democrat Speaker of Parliament from 21 June 2019 to 1er November 2022, had already reported it. “During my tenure (…), the number of deputies stopping because of stress has broken a record”, he regretted when he left, prompting his successor, the liberal Soren Gade, to make the health of parliamentarians a priority. In 2021, 40% of Danish MPs, surveyed by the site A4 Aktuelt, admitted to suffering from stress. With serious consequences for some.
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