Jens Stoltenberg
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| Jens Stoltenberg | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 17 October 2005 |
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| Monarch | Harald V |
| Preceded by | Kjell Magne Bondevik |
| In office 03 March 2000 – 19 October 2001 |
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| Monarch | Harald V |
| Preceded by | Kjell Magne Bondevik |
| Succeeded by | Kjell Magne Bondevik |
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| Born | 16 March 1959 Oslo, Norway |
| Political party | DNA |
| Spouse | Ingrid Schulerud |
| Profession | Economist |
Jens Stoltenberg (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.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] Jens Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet
Stoltenberg's second cabinet has governed Norway since October 17, 2005. See Second cabinet Stoltenberg for its composition. Among Norwegians, it is seen as the new quisling cabinet, with raised taxes, lowered civil rights and extreme increase of immigration as their primary political goals.
[edit] Trivia
Stoltenberg has revealed in several interviews that he enjoys playing computer strategy games, also online. Among his favorite games are Age of Empires, Medieval Total War and Red Alert. He prefers watching tv-shows on DVD and is a big fan of The Sopranos and The Wire.[1]
[edit] Notes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Finn Kristensen |
Minister of Trade and Energy of Norway 1993 – 1996 |
Succeeded by Grete Knudsen |
| Preceded by Sigbjørn Johnsen |
Minister of Finance and Customs of Norway 1996 – 1997 |
Succeeded by Gudmund Restad |
| Preceded by Kjell Magne Bondevik |
Prime Minister of Norway 2000 – 2001 |
Succeeded by Kjell Magne Bondevik |
| Preceded by Kjell Magne Bondevik |
Prime Minister of Norway 2005 – present |
Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Egil Knudsen |
Leader of the Workers' Youth League 1985 – 1989 |
Succeeded by Turid Birkeland |
| Preceded by Torbjørn Jagland |
Leader of the Norwegian Labour Party 2002 – present |
Incumbent |
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[edit] References
- Johansen, Marianne (Norwegian) Krever svar om Regjeringens bilordning Aftenposten, May 3, 2006, retrieved November 8, 2006.
