Jens Stoltenberg
Jens Stolenberg (born March 16, 1959 in Oslo) is the Norwegian Labor Party leader, and the Prime Minister of Norway since October 2005. He was previously Prime Minister 2000–2001.
Stoltenberg's left-leaning government narrowly defeated a splintered center-right opposition in the September 2009 elections. The Labor government came under challenge by Siv Jensen and her right-wing populist Progress Party, which has gained support by calling for lowering Norway's famously high taxes and tightening immigration rules. Debate centered on how to manage the Nordic welfare state's oil wealth.[1]
Stoltenberg's was in Gro Harlem Brundtland's third cabinet (1993–1996), where he was Minister of Commerce and Energy. He was Minister of Finance in Thorbjørn Jagland's cabinet (1996–1997), and became Leader of the Norwegian Labour Party in 2002, after being Vice Leader since 1992.
Stolenberg's current cabinet consists of Labour, Centre and Socialist Left Parties, and holds the majority in the Norwegian parliament, the Storting.
references
- ↑ See Karl Ritter, "Norway election focused on oil wealth," AP Sept. 14, 2009