Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg

Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg

Johan Ludvig Carl Christian Tido lensgreve Holstein til Ledreborg (10 June 1839 – 1 March 1912) was a Danish politician, a descendant of Johan Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg, who was Minister of State of Denmark. He was Council President of Denmark for two months, from 16 August to 28 October 1909, as the leader of the Cabinet of Holstein-Ledreborg. He also served as Defence Minister of Denmark from 18 October to 28 October 1909.

As one of the few members of the Venstre Reform Party, the Danish Liberal party belonging to the nobility, Holstein was isolated by his colleagues and at the same time took a special position within Venstre. He was considered an outstanding and varied speaker and as one of "the five leaders of Venstre" but already 1890 he gave up his political life devoting himself to his life as a squire on Zealand.

During the parliamentarian crisis 1909 he suddenly re-entered the scene, formed a Venstre cabinet and managed to form a compromise in the question of defence that satisfied all parts. A few days later he engineered a vote of no confidence in his own government (the first one in Danish history), and, after duly losing it, resigned and returned to his quiet private life.

He is Denmark's only Catholic Prime Minister.