Prime Minister of Norway

Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway (since Oct 16, 2013)

Erna Solberg (born 24 February 1961) is a Norwegian politician who has been leader of the Conservative Party since 2004 and Prime Minister of Norway since October 2013.

Solberg has served as a member of the Storting since 1989 and served as Minister of Local Government and Regional Development in Bondevik’s Second Cabinet from 2001 to 2005. After winning the election in September 2013, she became the second female Prime Minister of Norway, after Gro Harlem Brundtland.

Solberg’s Cabinet, often referred to informally as the “Blue-Blue Cabinet”, is a two-party minority cabinet consisting of the ‘Conservative Party’ and ‘Progress Party’.

Solberg was born in Bergen in western Norway and grew up in the affluent Kalfaret neighbourhood. Her father, Asbjørn Solberg (1925 – 89), worked as an consultant in the Bergen Sporvei and her mother, Inger Wenche Torgersen (1926–), was an office-worker. Solberg has two sisters. She is married to Sindre Finnes, a business man, with whom she has two children.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erna_Solberg; Photo: http://p3.no

Jens Stoltenberg, Former Prime Minister of Norway

Jens Stoltenberg’s government was appointed by the King on 17 October 2005. It is a majority government representing the Labour Party, the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party.

Jens Stoltenberg was born in Oslo on 16 March 1959. He is married to Ingrid Schulerud. They have two children.

Mr. Stoltenberg is Candidatus Oeconomiae (economist) at the University of Oslo from 1987.

Mr. Stoltenberg was Prime Minister 2000-2001, Minister of Finance 1996-1997 in Thorbjørn Jagland’s government, Minister of Trade and Energy 1993-1996 in Gro Harlem Brundtland’s government, and state secretary at the Ministry of the Environment 1990-1991 under Gro Harlem Brundtland’s government.

Mr. Stoltenberg has been member of the Storting (parliament) for Oslo since 1993, and was deputy member of the Storting 1989-1993. He was Labour’s parliamentary leader at the change of government, member of the Storting’s standing committee on social affairs 1991-1993, leader of the standing committee on oil and energy affairs 1997-2000 and member of the standing committee on foreign affairs 2001-2005.

Mr. Stoltenberg has been leader of the Labour Party since 2002, was deputy leader 1992-2002, and has been member of the party’s central board since 1985. He was leader of the Labour Youth League (AUF) 1985-1989, member of the AUF central board 1979-1989, vice president of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) 1985-1989, and leader of Oslo Labour Party 1990-1992.

Mr. Stoltenberg has a forceful engagement for development issues and is a strong supporter of the United Nations. He was member of the board of the Global Vaccine Fund 2001-2005, member of the Norwegian Defence Commission 1990-1992 and headed the Government’s Commission on male roles in 1986.

Jens Stoltenberg was part-time journalist on the national daily Arbeiderbladet 1979-1981, information secretary at Oslo Labour Party 1981, executive officer at Statistics Norway 1989-1990 and lectured in economics at the University of Oslo 1989-1990.