Jens Stoltenberg

Jens Stoltenberg
Prime Minister of Norway
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 October 2005
Monarchs	Harald V Haakon(prince regent)
Preceded by	Kjell Magne Bondevik
In office 03 March 2000 – 19 October 2001
Monarch	Harald V
Preceded by	Kjell Magne Bondevik
Succeeded by	Kjell Magne Bondevik
Personal details
Born	200px (1959-03-16) 16 March 1959 Oslo, Norway
Died	200px
Resting place	200px
Political party	DNA
Spouse	Ingrid Schulerud
Parent	200px
Profession	Economist

(born March 16, 1959) is a Norwegian economist, leader (since 2002) of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Stoltenberg was the leader of the Workers' Youth League between 1985 and 1989, and the Oslo chapter of the Labour Party between 1990 and 1992.

He was junior minister (statssekretær) in the Department of the Environment 1990-1991, Minister of Industry 1993-1996, and Minister of Finance 1996-1997. His first tenure as Prime Minister (2000 to 2001) was controversial within his own party, being responsible for reforms and modernisation of the welfare state that included part-privatising several key state-owned services and corporations. In the parliamentary elections of September 10, 2001 the party suffered one of its worst results ever, winning only 24% of the vote. The disastrous results of 2001 were quickly followed by a bitter leadership battle between Thorbjørn Jagland and Stoltenberg, with Stoltenberg winning the party leadership.

The 2005 parliamentary elections saw a vast improvement for Labour, and the party gained a majority in parliament together with the other "Red-Green" parties, the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party. This paved the way for a historic first in Norway, with Labour joining in a coalition government, the Red-Green Coalition. Stoltenberg became Prime Minister for the second time on October 17 2005.

Stoltenberg grew up in a political family. His father, Thorvald Stoltenberg, is one of the most prominent politicians in Norway and a former Foreign Minister; his mother Karin Stoltenberg was a junior minister. The late Marianne Heiberg, married to former Foreign Minister Johan Jørgen Holst, was his mother's sister. Stoltenberg is married to the diplomat Ingrid Schulerud and has two children. He was raised in the Waldorf Education system as formulated by Rudolf Steiner, and educated at the Oslo katedralskole and the University of Oslo. He likes to spend his summer vacations on the Hvaler Islands in the Oslo fjord.

He belongs to a family which in the 17th century emigrated to mainland Norway, from the North German village of Stoltenberg in Schleswig-Holstein (the Duchies were then in a personal union with the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway).

Jens Stoltenberg has attended the Bilderberg meetings.

Jens Stoltenberg First Cabinet

Stoltenberg's first cabinet governed Norway from March 17, 2000 to October 19, 2001. See First cabinet Stoltenberg for its composition.

Jens Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet

Stoltenberg's second cabinet has governed Norway since October 17, 2005. See Second cabinet Stoltenberg for its composition.

Template:Incumbent succession boxTemplate:Incumbent succession box

References

• Johansen, Marianne Template:No icon Krever svar om Regjeringens bilordning Aftenposten, May 3, 2006, retrieved November 8, 2006.

External links

• List of Norwegian ministries from Odin