By Jakob Vesterager
COPENHAGEN, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Denmark's finance minister, Social Democrat Bjarne Fog Corydon, 38, has served as Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt's chief of staff and economic adviser for six years.
He will take charge of fiscal policy in a country struggling to emerge from its deepest recession since World War Two.
'It is not something I had expected, but it is a dream job,' Corydon said on TV2 News.
'It is a job I have always hoped to have at some point in my life. It is a place where you make the big decisions for the future of Denmark and carry out some of the things I have been working on in my former capacity.'
Since 2005 Corydon has headed the Social Democratic Party's analysis and information department, which supports the politicians with technical expertise and advice.
Corydon was one of the driving forces behind the policies that won the Sept. 15 election for Thorning-Schmidt's 'Red bloc' alliance to end a decade of centre-right rule.
He is also the architect of the ill-fated proposal that Danes should work 12 more minutes per day -- an hour more per week -- to boost productivity.
The plan was blasted during the election campaign by political opponents who derided it as '12 minutes' money' and is not expected to be a part of the new three-party government's policy programme to be announced later on Monday.
Corydon has a working-class pedigree. His father was a grounds keeper at a cemetery and his mother worked at a car repair shop.
He won a seat in parliament for the first time two weeks ago with 8,299 personal votes.
'This is one of the biggest gambles I have seen in Danish politics,' Thomas Larsen, political columnist at daily Berlingske told Reuters.
'He is a bright young fellow and has been crucial to Thorning-Schmidt making it to the top. But he has no experience at all as a politician, and now he will go from being an unknown person to being one of the most important members of the government,' Larsen said.
Another Social Democrat, Henrik Sass Larsen, had been tipped to become finance minister. But last week he dropped out after failing to get a security clearance due to links to a Bandidos biker gang member.
Corydon joined the Social Democratic Party when he was 19 and says U.S. President John F. Kennedy is his political role model.
He got a degree in political science from the University of Aarhus in 2000.
(+ 45 33 96 96 55 copenhagen.newsroom@reuters.com)
Keywords: DENMARK FINMIN/
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