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Pia Merete Kjærsgaard (born February 23, 1947 in Copenhagen) is the leader of the Danish People's Party. Her first seat in the Danish parliament was for the Progress Party, beginning in 1984. She formed her own party, the Dansk Folkeparti (DF) or, in English, the Danish People's Party, in 1995, as things were growing increasingly chaotic in the Progress Party.
Although the Danish People's Party resembles other rightwing European parties with tough stances on crime and non-Western immigration, the party has also adopted a number of social policy issues traditionally belonging to the Social Democrats.
Her party achieved considerable success in the 2001 elections. The DPP is now the third largest party in the Folketing (Danish parliament). As such they often work with the minority government led by Anders Fogh Rasmussen's Liberal Party. Using this partnership the DPP has been able to push through many of its policy platforms.
Before becoming a politician she worked as a caretaker for elders (78-84) and at an office (63-67).
Her most outspoken political goals are to limit immigration to Denmark, that society should take better care of the elderly, and that Denmark should maintain its sovereignty, especially with regards to the European Union. In 2000 she campaigned successfully against adopting the Euro in Denmark. Her view on immigration has often led to her being compared to politicians such as Jean-Marie Le Pen in France and Pim Fortuyn in The Netherlands.
Named Danish Politician of the Year in 1989, Pia Kjærsgaard escaped a physical assault by leftwing extremists in Copenhagen in 1998.
In 2003, Pia Kjærsgaard lost a libel suit in the Danish Supreme Court against a political opponent who had characterized her viewpoints as racist. The court used a broad definition of racism and cited past speeches by Kjærsgaard that were critical of Islam and Islamic culture.
In the 2005 election she received 38,347 "personal votes", the second most of any politician in Denmark, behind only the Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Her party did well in those elections, maintaining its position as third largest in the Folketing.
See also: Politics of Denmarkda:Pia Kjærsgaard