Bård Vegar Solhjell

Bård Vegar Solhjell
Bård Vegar Solhjell during the demonstration against the Data Retention Directive. Oslo, April 10, 2010
Minister of the Environment
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 March 2012
Prime Minister	Jens Stoltenberg
Preceded by	Erik Solheim
Minister of Education and Research
In office 18 October 2007 – 20 October 2009
Preceded by	Øystein Djupedal
Succeeded by	Kristin Halvorsen
Secretary of the Socialist Left Party
In office 2001–2005
Preceded by	Turid Leirvoll
Succeeded by	Edle Daasvand
Personal details
Born	(1971-12-22) 22 December 1971 Kristiansand, Norway
Nationality	Norwegian
Political party	Socialist Left Party

Bård Vegar Solhjell (born 22 December 1971 in Kristiansand, grew up in Sunnfjord in Sogn and Fjordane, Western Norway.) is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party and since 2012 Minister of the Environment. From 2007 to 2009 he was Minister of Education (K–12), both in Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet.

Solhjell was appointed as minister on 18 October 2007, succeeding Øystein Djupedal. Djupedal's old department was split during the 2007 reshuffle, and Solhjell is the minister in charge of kindergartens and lower education up to and including the high school level. The minister dealing with research and higher education is Tora Aasland.

Solhjell holds a Masters Degree in Political Science, with emphasis on Sociology, Comparative Politics and History of Ideas at both the University of Oslo and the University of Bergen. He has worked as a teacher, and in the postal service.

Solhjell was elected to Parliament in 2009 for Akershus County. He was a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence as well as the Parliamentary leader of the Socialist Left Party's group. He is one of two deputy leaders of the Socialist Left Party since 2007 and a member of its central committee since 1999.

Solhjell was Party Secretary of the Socialist Left Party 2001-2005. He was the deputy leader of Socialist Youth League between 1992-1994, before becoming a political adviser for the Socialist Left Party's Parliamentary group and a state secretary at the Prime Minister's office.

In 2011 he published a book (Solidaritet på ny, Samlaget 2011) about solidarity, visions and direction for the Norwegian red-green Government and for his political party, the Socialist Left Party (SV). Between 2001 and 2005 Bård Vegar Solhjell was a member of the Norwegian Broadcasting Council. From 1992 to 1993 he was a board member of the organization “No to the EU”.

Bård Vegar Solhjell is married with 3 children. He lives in Son, just outside Oslo. He enjoys music and literature and coaches a children’s football team.

Political appointments

• 23.03.2012- Minister of the Environment
• 2009-2012 Member of Parliament for the Socialist Left Party
• 2007-2009 Minister of Education
• 2005-2007 State Secretary at the Prime Minister’s office
• 2001-2005 Party Secretary for the Socialist Left Party
• 1999- Member of the Central Board in the Socialist Left Party

Work Experience

• 2000-2001 Political Adviser at the Parliamentary Committee of the Socialist Left Party
• 1994 Political Adviser of the Socialist Left Party

Education

• 2000- Master Degree in Political Science with Sociology, Comparative Politics and History of Ideas from University of Oslo and University of Bergen.

References

• Bård Vegar Solhjell Entry at the Miljøverndepartementet (Ministry of the Environment) (Norwegian)
• Bård Vegar Solhjell Entry at the Ministry of the Environment (Ministry of the Environment) (English)

Political offices
Preceded by Øystein Djupedal	Norwegian Minister of Education and Research 2007 – 2009	Succeeded by Kristin Halvorsen