Danish politician
Rikke Karlsson (born 29 April 1965) is a Danish politician and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Denmark. She is an Independent politician, but she is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists. She is a former member of the Danish People's Party[1] She is the niece of fellow Danish People's Party politician Søren Espersen.[2] She was elected to the European Parliament (EP) in the 2014 EP election. She was a local politician in Rebild Municipality and North Denmark Region council 2009–2014[2][3] and has been a substitute to the Folketing[4]
Karlsson has social pedagogy and has worked as a social worker, teacher, leader of a school for children with special problems and in healthcare sector, including psychiatry.[2]
Elected a member of the municipal council in Rebild in 2009, she was a critic of the municipal authorises in the Rebild-affair where a man had sexually abused nine children, also after concern had been raised to the municipality.[2] Karlsson's involvement in the affair was in the beginning controversial.[3] The affair led to the resignation of four leaders in the municipality.[5]
A candidate to the Folketing in the 2011 election, she was elected first substitute to the parliament.[4] Being a candidate to the European Parliament for the third time in 2014, she was in nominated in second spot at the party's list and was elected with 7,944 preference votes.[4]
Karlsson lives in Støvring and has three children.[6] She is the niece of fellow Danish People's Party politician Søren Espersen.[2]
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