Despite the prospect of a reshuffle of the Socialist People’s Party (SF) portfolios following Saturday’s election of Annette Vilhelmsen as party leader, Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal seems certain that he will continue in his post.

Vilhelmsen, who won the SF ballot convincingly by 66 per cent to 34 per cent for Health Minister Astrid Krag, is expected to announce a party reshuffle within the next couple of days.

Asked whether he expected to remain a minister, Søvndal said he was in no doubt.

“I am actually not in any doubt. But I am happy to be in a situation in which I can concentrate completely on foreign policy. It’s my own choice and I’m happy with it,” Søvndal said as he arrived for a council meeting in Luxembourg.

But he added that he did not have an agreement with the new party leader, and although he had not spoken to her on Sunday, he had spoken to her during her election campaign.

There has been speculation in recent days concerning the internal ministerial reshuffle that Vilhelmsen is expected to announce in the next couple of days.

Business and Growth Minister Ole Sohn is expected to step down following his announcement last week that he will be withdrawing from politics at the next election. His portfolio could be expected to be taken by Vilhelmsen, who has hitherto been business spokeswoman.

Tax Minister Thor Möger Pedersen, a close Søvndal confidant who is seen as having been instrumental in moving the party more to the right, is also in the balance. There are suggestions that a former party leader, Holger Nielsen, is a likely candidate to take over the Tax Ministry.

Nielsen, who is currently defence policy spokesman, was called to Government House on Sunday to take part in discussions between Vilhelmsen and Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt.

Any ministerial swapping out, and which ministerial posts can be swapped in to, will have to be sanctioned by the prime minister, and in all likelihood also by the leader of the Social Liberal Party Margrethe Vestager.

There are currently six ministers from the Socialist People’s Party: Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal, Tax Minister Thor Möger Pedersen, Business and Growth Minister Ole Sohn, Trade and Investment Minister Pia Olsen Dyhr, Health Minister Astrid Krag and Environment Minister Ida Auken.

The other two members of the coalition are the Social Democrats and the Social Liberals. The Social Liberals have six portfolios, with Party Leader Margrethe Vestager as economy minister. The senior coalition Social Democratic Party has 11 portfolios.

There are no immediate indications of any general government reshuffle in connection with the changes envisaged as a result of changes in the Socialist People Party.

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