Magnus Johannes Heunicke (born 28 January 1975) is a Danish journalist and politician who serves as a member of the

Folketing The Folketing ( , ), also known as the Parliament of Denmark or the Danish Parliament in English, is the unicameral national legislature (parliament) of the Kingdom of Denmark — Denmark proper together with the Faroe Islands and Greenland. E ...

for the

Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...

political party. He was the Minister for Health (Denmark), Minister of Health from 2019 to 2022, and minister of elderly affairs from 2019 to 2021.

Background

He was born in Næstved to former mayor Henning Jensen and school teacher Inger Heunicke, and is married to Nina Groes. Heunicke has an education as a journalist, graduating from Aarhus journalist high school in 2002 and later working for DR in the period 2001-2005. Heunicke left the field of journalism in 2005 to pursue a parliamentary career. Before starting his education as a journalist, Heunicke graduated from Næstved gymnasium in Næstved, in 1995.

Political career

Heunicke was first elected member of Folketinget for the

in the 2005 Danish general election, and reelected in 2007 Danish general election, 2007 and 2011 Danish general election, 2011. In 2014 he was appointed Ministry of Transport (Denmark), Minister for Transport, after Pia Olsen Dyhr. He was reelected again in 2015 Danish general election, 2015 and 2019 Danish general election, 2019.

Minister of Health (2019-2022)

Heunicke was appointed Ministry of Health (Denmark), Minister for Health and Elderly Affairs in the Frederiksen I Cabinet, Frederiksen Cabinet from 27 June 2019. Together with Frederiksen cabinet, he led the Danish government's response to the contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark, COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, COVID-19 vaccination in Denmark, COVID-19 vaccines reached the country and began to the administrated. From January 2021, he was only Minister of Health. In the summer of 2021, he also led the government’s response to a 2021 Danish nurses strike, strike among more than 6,000 nurses over pay.

Minister of the Environment (2022–)

Heunicke was appointed minister of the environment on 15 December 2022 in Frederiksen II Cabinet, Mette Fredriksens second cabinet. On 29 August 2024, he was appointed to also serve as Minister for Gender Equality (Denmark), minister for gender equality.

External links

References

1975 births Living people People from Næstved Municipality Social Democrats (Denmark) politicians Government ministers of Denmark Health ministers of Denmark Members of the Folketing 2005–2007 Members of the Folketing 2007–2011 Members of the Folketing 2011–2015 Members of the Folketing 2015–2019 Members of the Folketing 2019–2022 Members of the Folketing 2022–2026 Transport ministers of Denmark {{Denmark-bio-stub