When

Mon, Apr. 03, 2017
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
(GMT-05:00) America/Chicago

Where

James A. Baker III Hall

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former NATO secretary general and former prime minister of Denmark, discussed his latest book, “The Will to Lead: America's Indispensable Role in the Global Fight for Freedom.” Against the backdrop of recent geopolitical events — including the Arab Spring, the Iranian nuclear deal, and the Russian annexation of Crimea and invasion of Ukraine — Rasmussen critically analyzed the Obama administration’s strategy and decision-making in foreign policy and examined President Donald Trump’s potential policy alternatives going forward. He looked at the qualities of previous U.S. presidents, along with those of other leaders he has come to know, and put forward a plan for how the U.S. and nations around the world can join together to overcome tyranny.

A reception and book signing followed the presentation. Copies of the book were available for purchase courtesy of the Rice University Campus Store.

This event was sponsored by the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies.

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FEATURED SPEAKER

His Excellency Anders Fogh Rasmussen is the former NATO secretary general and former prime minister of Denmark. He has held numerous positions in government throughout his political career, beginning with his election to the Danish Parliament in 1978. From 1987 to 1992, he was minister of taxation. While serving as minister of economic affairs and member of the European Union’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council from 1990 to 1992, Rasmussen was the Danish negotiator and signatory of the Maastricht Treaty, which eventually led to the introduction of the euro as a single currency. From 1992 to 1998, Rasmussen was spokesman for the Liberal Party, and from 1993 to 1998, he also served as vice chairman of the Parliament’s Economic and Political Affairs Committee. In 1998, he became chairman of the Liberal Party’s national organization and vice chairman of the Parliament’s Foreign Policy Board. After the parliamentary elections in 2001, Rasmussen formed his first government, a coalition consisting of the Liberal Party and the Conservative People’s Party. His government was re-elected in 2005 and 2007, and he held the position of prime minister until April 2009, when he was elected NATO secretary general at the Strasbourg-Kehl Summit. During the Danish Presidency of the European Union in 2002, Rasmussen played a key role in the process that led to the resolution of accession negotiations with 10 candidates for EU membership at the December 2002 meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen.

When

Mon, Apr. 03, 2017
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
(GMT-05:00) America/Chicago

Where

James A. Baker III Hall