Kramer named one of world's top mayors
On Tuesday, former Copenhagen Mayor Jens Kramer Mikkelsen was formally rated one of the world's 11 best city administrators
Homeless scandal or no, former Copenhagen Mayor Jens Kramer Mikkelsen has been named one of the best mayors in the world.
Online magazine City Mayor scoured the globe in 2004 to track down the most outstanding, most gifted political leaders in the world's major cities. Over the summer, 50 finalists were selected from a pool of 400 nominees before a winner was announced on Tuesday. The top city official for 2004 was Edi Rama, mayor of the Albanian capital Tirana, who took the top honour with 5,500 votes. Rama was in a close race with Mexico City Mayor Andrés Manuel Lopéz Obrador, with Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni coming in third. The top three finishers were followed by a field of eight city mayors receiving more than 1,500 votes, and Jens Kramer Mikkelsen was included in this pool of finalists.
More than 35,000 readers of City Mayor cast their votes before the final count was tabulated. Speaking with daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten after the award was announced, Kramer Mikkelsen said he was proud of his ranking - but surprised by the final winner.
"You don't say. Tirana? I completely forgot about that vote. Still, I'm very proud. Almost flattered. But it's not necessarily due to my efforts as mayor alone. This is validating for all of Copenhagen. The business sector, the Metro, Copenhagen Harbour...I'd say we've regained our self-confidence," said Jens Kramer Mikkelsen.
Voters cited the Ørestad urban development and Copenhagen Metro initiative as Kramer Mikkelsen's top achievements in office.
Last spring, Kramer Mikkelsen's popularity was tarnished after the mercurial mayor took a vacation in Australia using a DKK 50,000 award cheque that he had earlier promised to donate to the homeless. Jyllands-Posten asked the former mayor how he might explain to Copenhagen's homeless just why he had been named one of the most popular mayors in the world.
"It should be obvious to anyone. I think there are more homeless people in Mexico City than in Copenhagen," said Kramer Mikkelsen, who denied writing himself in for the award.