Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has been the target of criticism in recent weeks due to his handling of various political issues and for not stamping his political authority on events.

At his weekly press meeting today he made no bones of the fact that his is currently an uphill battle, and used his recent brief cycling holiday in Tenerife as a metaphor for the government’s situation.

“When you are riding in steep terrain, it is as steep going up as it is coming down. Sometimes it’s uphill, sometimes downhill. That is also what the political landscape is like,” Løkke Rasmussen says.

“I can see that politically it is uphill. I can see that I am challenged. But I know my route. That is what is important right now – to get up to the crown of the next hill,” he says.

As to criticism from political colleagues, opponents and commentators, Løkke Rasmussen says he chooses to see this as ‘good advice’ and something he lends his ear to, but that he runs politics at his own pace.

“When you cycle uphill in steep terrain, and if like me you are not designed as a climber, you have to keep your own pace. Irrespective of how many commentators, colleagues and journalists shout that you have to speed up or change gear, you have to keep your own tempo. Otherwise you force things and go cold,” the prime minister says.

Convergence
The next political challenge that that prime minister will be addressing is the convergence programme that Denmark has to produce in connection with the European Union’s economic requirements.

“We must clarify and identify Denmark’s precise current economic situation and of course provide our political answer as to how to move forward. But we have to take things in the right sequence. We have to identify the problems first,” Løkke Rasmussen says, adding that the convergence programme will be presented in coming weeks.