Morten Østergaard

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Morten Østergaard

|honorific-suffix = MP

|image = File:20200610 Altinget Morten Ostergaard 750A4210 (cropped).jpg

|office = Leader of the Social Liberal Party

|term_start = 2 September 2014

|term_end = 7 October 2020

|predecessor = Margrethe Vestager

|successor = Sofie Carsten Nielsen

|office1 = Deputy Prime Minister of Denmark

|primeminister1 = Helle Thorning-Schmidt

|term_start1 = 2 September 2014

|term_end1 = 28 June 2015

|predecessor1 = Margrethe Vestager

|successor1 = Claus Hjort Frederiksen

|office2 = Minister for Economy and Interior

|primeminister2 = Helle Thorning-Schmidt

|term_start2 = 2 September 2014

|term_end2 = 28 June 2015

|predecessor2 = Margrethe Vestager

|successor2 = Simon Emil Ammitzbøll-Bille

|office3 = Minister for Taxation

|primeminister3 = Helle Thorning-Schmidt

|term_start3 = 3 February 2014

|term_end3 = 2 September 2014

|predecessor3 = Jonas Dahl

|successor3 = Benny Engelbrecht

|office4 = Minister for Higher Education and Science

|term_start4 = 3 October 2011

|term_end4 = 3 February 2014

|primeminister4= Helle Thorning-Schmidt

|predecessor4 = Charlotte Sahl-Madsen

|successor4 = Sofie Carsten Nielsen

| office5 = Member of the Folketing

| term_start5 = 8 February 2005

| term_end5 = 16 June 2021

| constituency5 = East Jutland (2007—2021)
Århus (2005—2007)

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|6|17|df=y}}

|birth_place = Aarhus, Denmark

|death_date =

|death_place =

|nationality = Danish

|spouse = Line Legarth Sigel

|children =

|party = Social Liberal Party

|alma_mater = University of Aarhus

}}

Morten Østergaard (born 17 June 1976) is a Danish politician who served as Denmark's Minister for Economic and Interior Affairs from 2 September 2014 to 28 June 2015. Leader of the Danish Social Liberal Party from September 2014 to October 2020, he was a member of the Folketing from 2005 to 2021. He was furthermore Minister for Research, Innovation and Higher Education from 2011 to 2014 and for a short term in 2014 also Minister for Taxation.{{cite web |title=Morten Østergaard bliver ny skatteminister |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/morten-oestergaard-bliver-ny-skatteminister |website=Dr.dk |access-date=21 August 2021}}

Background

He holds a master's degree in political science from the University of Aarhus.{{cite web |title=Morten Østergaard (RV) |url=https://www.ft.dk/medlemmer/mf/m/morten-oestergaard |website=Ft.dk |access-date=21 August 2021}}

Political career

Østergaard was vice-chairman of the party from 2002 to 2005 and has been a member of parliament since the 2005 election.

Following the announcement on 31 August 2014 that Margrethe Vestager is to become Denmark's EU Commissioner, Østergaard was elected leader of the Danish Social Liberal Party and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Denmark, as well as Minister of the Interior. On 7 October 2020 Østergaard resigned as the leader of the Danish Social Liberal Party due to inappropriate sexual behaviour towards fellow Social Liberal MP Lotte Rod.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/morten-oestergaard-traekker-sig-efter-sag-om-kraenkelser |title=Morten Østergaard trækker sig efter sag om krænkelser|date=7 October 2020 |website=dr.dk |publisher=Danmarks Radio Politik|first=Nikoline |last= Vestergaard|first2= Line |last2=Jenvall|first3=Anders|last3=Byskov Svendsen|first4=Søren|last4=Larsen|first5=Rasmus|last5=Lindegård Hansen |access-date=7 October 2020}}