[2][3] The title used to be an informal description sometimes used, especially by the press, for the minister who is second in the order of precedence.

It is only when the order of precedence deviates from this tradition, that number two is referred to as vicestatsminister.

This happens in the unusual case when the leader of the second-largest coalition party is not minister of foreign affairs.

In some cases the leader of the third-largest coalition party, who is as a matter of course third in precedence, has been called 2nd deputy prime minister (Danish: 2. vicestatsminister).

[citation needed] The position was formally established by Royal decree in the Frederiksen II Cabinet, with Venstre leader Jakob Ellemann-Jensen being appointed to the position, in addition to being Minister of Defence.