Viggo Kampmann

Olfert Viggo Fischer Kampmann (; 21 July 1910 – 3 June 1976) was a Danish politician who served as the leader of the Danish Social Democrats and Prime Minister of Denmark from 1960 to 1962. He formed his first cabinet just prior to the 1960 election, which was a coalition between the Social Democrats, the Justice Party and Social Liberal Party. Following the election, he formed another cabinet with the latter of the two parties. Before becoming Prime Minister he served as Finance Minister from 1953 to 1960 under Hans Hedtoft and H. C. Hansen. Kampmann was born in Frederiksberg Denmark. He came from an academic background and was the first academic to rise to a high rank in the Danish Social Democratic Party. He studied economics at the University of Copenhagen, gaining a cand.polit. degree in 1934. Before becoming Minister of Finance, Kampmann worked in the newly formed economical secretariat as the Finance Minister's closest adviser. He was first elected to the Folketing in 1953. Political career When Prime Minister and Social Democrat H. C. Hansen died in February 1960 Kampmann succeeded him, creating the Cabinet of Viggo Kampmann I. H. C. Hansen had cooperated with the Danish Social Liberal Party and the Justice Party, but Kampmann had problems working with the Justice Party. After the 1960 Danish parliamentary election, the Justice Party failed to get into Folketinget and the Danish Social Liberal Party went from 14 to 11 mandates. But the Social Democrats gained 6 mandates to 76, and Kampmann was able to form a minority government with the Social Liberal Party.