Poul Hartling

Who was Poul Hartling?

Poul Hartling was a Danish diplomat and politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 1973 to 1975.

Hartling served as Foreign Minister of Denmark from 1968 until 1971 in the Cabinet of Hilmar Baunsgaard. In 1973 Hartling became Prime Minister of Denmark when the sitting Danish Social Democratic Party government of Anker Jørgensen was unable to form a government after the 1973 Danish parliamentary election. Hartling was Prime Minister from 18 December 1973 until 13 February 1975, when Anker Jørgensen and the Social Democrats came to power again.

Hartling then left Danish politics to work for the United Nations. He was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1978 until 1985. In 1981 Hartling accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the UNHCR.