Afghan refugee daughter joins Danish cabinet; Samira Nova appointed climate, energy minister

Copenhagen – Samira Nova, a Danish politician of Afghan descent, has been appointed as the country’s climate, energy and public services minister in the new Danish government’s cabinet. The appointment is seen by many as a symbol of the success of the second generation of Afghan refugees in Europe.

Samira Nova, a prominent member of the social liberal Radical Vanguard party, will officially take charge of the key post on Wednesday. The ministry comes as climate change and ensuring energy security are among the top priorities of the new Danish government.

Nova was born in 1988 in Aalborg, Denmark. Her parents had fled to Denmark two years before she was born, fleeing the war and insecurity caused by the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

After studying economics at the University of Copenhagen, she began her professional activities in think tanks and government institutions and then entered politics. Samira Nova first entered Denmark in 2019 as a representative of the Radical Party of the West and quickly became one of the party's leading figures in the areas of economy, labor market, gender equality and climate policy.
Her political successes continued in subsequent elections, and now, by entering the cabinet, she has become one of the highest-ranking politicians of Afghan descent in Europe.

Political observers see this appointment as a sign of cultural diversity in Denmark's political structure and also assess the prominent role of children of immigrants in the country's management and major decision-making.

Reporter Shahbanoo Noori