Politically, he is considered by many right wing followers to have been largely unsuccessful, having failed to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis of the 1970s and 1980s.

Nonetheless, he is generally respected and even loved throughout Denmark for his personal integrity and down-to-earth personality, often exemplified by his refusal to move into the official prime minister residence Marienborg, preferring to stay with his wife in their small apartment in a working class area of Copenhagen.

[1] While he has been described as not having the image of a strong or visionary leader, during his terms as prime minister he managed to maintain wide support for the Danish welfare state.

He located himself on the left wing of the Social Democratic party, speaking out for unskilled workers and the jobless, and criticised the leadership of Parliamentary group leader Per Hækkerup.

Before the 1972 referendum about whether Denmark should join the European Economic Community (ECC), he went against the stated interest of his own labour union, arguing for a yes.

[2] A day after the EEC referendum, Jørgensen succeeded Jens Otto Krag as Prime Minister of Denmark.

This coalition lasted until 23 October 1979,[6] and for a brief period of two months in 1978 he concurrently held the position of foreign minister.

Unable to muster support for tax increases and spending cuts, he stepped down as prime minister without calling an election on 10 September 1982, ceding the premiership to the Conservative leader Poul Schlüter.

[10]: 314 Nevertheless, a wide range of progressive social reforms were introduced during Jørgensen's time as prime minister.

The Severance Pay Act of November 1978 introduced pre-retirement remuneration which provided unemployment benefits (for those between the ages of 58 and 66) in cases of voluntary retirement.