Haarder was first elected to the
Folketing (Parliament) in 1975. Until 1977 he was a member of the Folketing representing
North Jutland County constituency, and from 1977 to 1999 he was a member of the Folketing from
Copenhagen County constituency. From 2005 to 2007, he was a member from
Vestsjælland County constituency, and since 2007 he has been a member from
Greater Copenhagen constituency. He was also a
Member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 2001, and he served as vice-chairman of the European Parliament from 1997 to 1999. From 10 September 1982 to 25 January 1993 he was Education Minister in various cabinets of
Poul Schlüter. From 10 September 1987 to 25 January 1993 he was also the
Minister of Research. From November 2001 to February 2005 he was
Minister for Refugees, Immigrants and Integration in the
Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen I, and enacted a policy of tough measures designed to limit the number of immigrants coming to Denmark. From February 2005 until February 2010 Haarder was once more the
Education Minister in the
Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen II. From February 2010 to October 2011 he was
Interior and Health Minister in the
Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet Furthermore, from February 2005 to November 2007 he was minister
for Ecclesiastical Affairs and from November 2007 until February 2010 the
Minister of Nordic Cooperation in the
Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen III. In February 2010 the veteran minister took over as
Interior and Health Minister until October 2011. He is the longest serving Danish minister. In 2021 Haarder announced he would not be standing at the
2022 Danish general election and subsequently lost his seat in the Folketing. ==Personal life==