Schlüter

2023

Denmark is on the brink of bankruptcy when Conservative Poul Schlüter becomes prime minister in 1982. Over his more than 10 years in office, he manages to restore the country's economy—but remains deeply unpopular with parts of the population. Schlüter becomes the longest-serving prime minister since World War II. What was the secret behind his long tenure? And what were the personal costs for him and his family? Get to know the man and the politician in DR’s new three-part documentary, Schlüter.

Production

Seasons

3 Episodes • Premiered 2023

1. Not so conservative that it really matters

Chaos, massive unemployment, and a country on the brink of state bankruptcy—that is the state of Denmark when Poul Schlüter takes over the keys to the Prime Minister’s Office from Anker Jørgensen in 1982. Although few expect Schlüter, widely seen as a political lightweight, to last long in Denmark’s most powerful position, he ends up holding it for more than 10 years. However, it comes at great personal cost to him and his family, whom he rarely sees during certain periods. Years later, a teenage girl is told that her father is the country’s prime minister...

2. It's going unbelievably well

"Schlüter is a fraud!" "Out with Schlüter!" The negative slogans are plentiful, and the protests are massive as Schlüter and his new four-party coalition government roll up their sleeves to get the Danish economy back on track in the early 1980s. Poul Schlüter and his family have to endure the fact that he is despised by large parts of the population. At the same time, Schlüter's beloved wife, Lisbeth, is gravely ill.

3. Nothing has been swept under the rug

Lisbeth’s death looms like a dark cloud over Schlüter, while power struggles intensify at Christiansborg. A civil war on the other side of the world ends up having a decisive impact on Poul Schlüter’s final days as prime minister. But amid the turmoil, he finds love again.