Trine Bramsen (born 26 March 1981) is a Danish politician of the Social Democrats, who has been a member of the Folketing since 2011. She served as minister of transport from February to December 2022 and minister of defence from 2019 until February 2022.
Early and personal life
Bramsen was born in Svendborg to schoolteachers Bo Steffen Madsen and Lene Bramsen Madsen. She worked as a consultant with Deloitte from 2007 until 2011.[1]
Following revelations by the DR in May 2021, that Denmark had aided the NSA in spying on ally countries, Bramsen stated that "systematic wiretapping of close allies is unacceptable".[8]
After two Russian fighter jets flew into Danish airspace in June 2021, Bramsen called it “a deliberate provocation by Russia”, further stating the fighters were warned that they were entering Danish airspace. She also warned that “it is a clear sign that they are willing to break every rule” and that “we can’t afford to be naive”.[9]
Bramsen warned that Denmark would withdraw their soldiers from Mali if the country’s authorities were to seek negotiations with Russian mercenaries to combat Islamic extremist groups. Speaking to Jyllands-Posten in late September 2021, she iterated that Denmark would not negotiate with mercenaries, and that there was a clear red line.[10]
Controversy
Bramsen was the IT and telecommunications spokesperson for the Social Democrats, when she replied to a comment by the IT-Political Association of Denmark in a debate about electronic elections wherein participants are identified with chips.[11] Bramsen argued in favour of the electronic elections, which she perceived as feasible, even though the Association with technical industry experience was in opposition. She wrote an article[12] titled A call for IT nerds: Stop wearing tennis socks — and speak so that we can understand you!. The article was met with criticism for its tone. As a result, she was reassigned to be a spokesperson on justice.
In her new position, she argued for making The Onion Router illegal.[13]
In 2020 Bramsen exposed a secret agreement with the US, made during the tenures of Bill Clinton and Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and signed by subsequent Danish defense ministers, allowing American authorities to tap Danish phone cables.[14] In 2021 MP Søren Espersen called for her resignation, for disrespecting the Chief of Defence, by calling her an ”agency leader”.[15]
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