The Social Democratic Party is expected today to reshuffle senior party posts, bringing Henrik Sass Larsen back into its senior ranks as parliamentary group chairman and chief whip and appointing two new deputy party chairmen.

Prior to last November’s general election, Sass Larsen, a senior party strategist and confidant of Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, had been mooted as finance minister in a Social Democratic-led government.

But a decision by the Security and Intelligence Service to deny him ministerial security clearance resulted in his withdrawal from core government-forming, relegating him instead to the backbenches. The security issue involved what were seen as too close a contact with a local biker in Køge.

Eight months after his relegation, however, party leadership has wanted Sass Larsen back into core party management as chief whip to maintain discipline in the parliamentary group prior to political negotiations on reforms of the Danish economy.

The current group chairman, Mogens Jensen, is expected to be elected joint deputy chairman of the party, along with the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen. Jensen’s relationship with Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has improved over the past couple of years after he stood against her in a party leadership battle in 2005.

Under party rules, both deputy chairmen cannot be MPs. The posts are currently held under a temporary exemption. The Executive Board is also expected to announce a new top candidate for the European Parliament in Jeppe Kofod.

The reshuffle seems designed to placate the various wings within the Social Democratic Party.

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