How tall is margrethe vestager

In the series, Nyborg's marriage fails as she tries to juggle the demands of running a minority government with keeping a family going. Ms Vestager, in contrast, appears unfazed. Her family moved to Brussels, while one daughter stayed in Copenhagen to study. She wrote poetry during coalition talks after the elections and became renowned for her love of knitting and baking. Party colleagues describe her as a mother figure who always remembered their birthdays, and that has continued during her time in Brussels.

Was this an attempt to be rid of a troublesome minister, as depicted in a memorable Borgen episode entitled, "In Brussels no-one can hear you scream"? That seems unlikely. Ms Thorning-Schmidt was herself being touted for a top job in Brussels. Margrethe Vestager, 50, has one of the toughest and highest-profile briefs in Brussels.

She is now being talked of as a contender in the race for the presidency of the European Commission. At home she is also viewed by some as a potential prime minister, but such a return from Brussels would be unprecedented and commentators say it is hard to imagine. For now she is winning praise and opprobrium in equal measure in her headline-grabbing role taking on the multinationals.

Under her watch, the Commission has faced accusations of targeting US corporations, such as Starbucks and Amazon, as well as Google and Apple. That is vehemently denied in Brussels. The fines imposed on US multinationals are certainly high, but Ms Vestager's department has gone for other targets far closer to home. The sweetheart deal that Apple benefited from was state aid from the Irish government, and it will be Dublin that has to collect the money. Luxembourg's government was caught out too, in the "Luxleaks" scandal, which revealed that top companies such as Fiat and Amazon were allowed to funnel millions of euros in profits through subsidiaries in the Grand Duchy and pay precious little tax.

France's Engie power company has also been hit. Other EU states have been fingered too. The Netherlands is under investigation into its tax arrangements with Ikea and has already been told to collect back taxes from Starbucks. Some have questioned her decision to take on Google's Android system, arguing it could harm consumers in Europe.

So why does she persist? One colleague in Copenhagen told the BBC: "She's a political go-getter who stands up for her beliefs. The commissioner herself stresses that she is acting against unfair competition not against a firm's market dominance, as long as that status is fair and legitimate. A majority of member states are lobbying to suspend a rule that forces airlines to offer a full refund for cancelled flights.

Margrethe Vestager, the EU's Competition czar, warned on Thursday that "some people may need the money". And we can not allow Brexit to overshadow important things, because it keeps occupying our mind, our media, precious time that heads of states and government could use by discussing with one another," Margrethe Vestager tells Euronews. Rochelle Toplensky. A sprawling desk with an imperial chair, fixed just high enough to look down on the seats of petitioners.

This is old-school Brussels. And she has used it with aplomb. Cartoons depict her as an axe-wielding Viking raider, speckled with ice.

But walk into her office in the European Commission and it feels hygge — vivid modern art, rugs on light wood floors, sofas, a multitude of family photos. Only the EU flag in the corner gives away that you are in a hive of officialdom. Carefully curated personal touches are all around, and splitting the room in half is a long, narrow table on a rug.

This is where Vestager welcomes guests and conducts her business. And face them full body she certainly has. Tim Cook, chief executive of Apple, sat here in January this year when he pleaded with Vestager to drop allegations that the Irish Republic had granted Apple a sweetheart tax deal. This was more what he expected from Venezuela than Europe, Cook said.

Vestager looked on, irritated but unmoved. More pressure followed. Stern warnings flooded in from Washington. The Obama administration claimed the commission was bending the law to become a supranational tax authority. Ireland appealed. I respect other people and, of course, I expect that it works the other way around. Most attempts to understand Vestager lead to the flatlands of West Jutland, and her upbringing as the eldest child of two Lutheran pastors.

Here again life revolved around a meeting table. From 5am to late at night, all manner of visitors would call — to celebrate, to mourn, as well as to seek counsel and shelter. Some who have found themselves on the wrong side of a Vestager decision scornfully note her moral edge.