Merete Riisager

Merete Riisager Andersen (born 1 March 1976) is a Danish politician affiliated with the Liberal Alliance party, best known for her service as Minister for Education in Lars Løkke Rasmussen's VLAK government from 28 November 2016 to 27 June 2019. She represented the party as a member of the Folketing (Danish Parliament) for the Funen Greater Constituency from 15 September 2011 to 5 June 2019, during which she acted as spokesperson on children and education issues.

Throughout her parliamentary tenure, Riisager focused on education policy, contributing to debates and reforms in schooling and child welfare as part of the Liberal Alliance's platform emphasizing liberal reforms and parental involvement. Her ministerial role involved overseeing national education strategies amid political shifts, including responses to school reform challenges and public engagements that highlighted tensions in educational governance. Following her departure from the Folketing in 2019, she has continued advocacy on family and education matters aligned with conservative-liberal values.

Early life and education

Early life

Merete Riisager Andersen was born on 1 March 1976 in Aarhus, Denmark.

Education

Riisager earned a cand.mag.pæd. degree, a Danish master's-level qualification in pedagogy, from the University of Copenhagen between 1997 and 2003.

This degree emphasizes educational theory, child development, and pedagogical methods, equipping graduates with specialized knowledge in fostering learning environments and addressing educational challenges for children. Such training underpins expertise in pedagogy and education policy formulation.

Political career

Parliamentary service

Merete Riisager Andersen was elected to the Folketing as a member for the Liberal Alliance party in the Fyns Storkreds constituency on 15 September 2011, representing the party until 5 June 2019.

During her parliamentary tenure, she served as the Liberal Alliance's spokesperson on children and education, focusing on policy debates related to early childhood and schooling frameworks. She also acted as vice-chairwoman of the Taxation Committee from 2015 to 2016, contributing to discussions on budgetary matters intersecting with educational funding priorities.

Ministerial role

Merete Riisager was appointed Minister of Education on 28 November 2016 in Lars Løkke Rasmussen's VLAK minority government, succeeding Ellen Trane Nørby from Venstre, and served until the government's resignation on 27 June 2019. In this executive role within the coalition of Venstre, Liberal Alliance, and the Conservatives, she held primary responsibility for shaping national education policy, including oversight of primary schools, upper secondary education, and vocational training amid ongoing debates on school autonomy and resource allocation.

During her tenure, Riisager focused on initiatives to align education with future labor market needs, notably presenting a national strategy in 2019 to prepare students for technological disruption and workplace changes, launched at a primary school event alongside the prime minister. She advocated for reduced emphasis on digital tools in classrooms, opposing excessive technology integration, and supported options for schools to opt out of certain structural reforms like extended compulsory schooling hours. In 2018, she initiated a review of national testing systems tied to municipal performance metrics, aiming to refine accountability measures without over-relying on standardized assessments.

Riisager's approach emphasized teacher quality and practical skills, as seen in her response to Denmark's 2018 PISA results, where she highlighted the contributions of mathematics educators rather than pushing broad structural overhauls. Her tenure faced challenges, including public pushback on resource shifts like omprioriteringsbidraget, which redirected funds from upper secondary institutions, and isolated incidents of student unrest during school visits.

Post-political activities

Consulting and speaking

Following her tenure as Minister of Education, Riisager joined Liberal Alliance as a senior consultant, supporting the party's policy development and advising members on education-related matters.

In this capacity, she has contributed to the party's secretariat from August 2024, drawing on her expertise to aid in strategic initiatives.

Riisager also engages as a public speaker (foredragsholder) and author, focusing on education policy and child welfare topics.

Advocacy and awards

Following her tenure in government, Riisager has continued advocating for family autonomy and parental rights, emphasizing educational freedom as an extension of her expertise in children's and education policy. She has highlighted the importance of empowering parents in shaping their children's upbringing and schooling, influencing discussions at European levels on policies that prioritize family-centered approaches over state-centric interventions.

In recognition of these efforts, Riisager received the 2025 European Family Values Award at the European Family Policy Conference in Brussels, organized in connection with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The award honors individuals advancing family values, parental rights, and educational autonomy across national and continental platforms, building on her prior policy experience.