Jens Stoltenberg, former Secretary-General of NATO, has been appointed as Norway’s new Finance Minister as part of a Cabinet reshuffle announced on Tuesday. Stoltenberg, who concluded his decade-long tenure at the helm of NATO in October 2024, expressed his “deep honor” in accepting the new role.
Stoltenberg’s appointment follows the recent collapse of Norway’s ruling coalition, which occurred after the eurosceptic Center Party withdrew over disagreements regarding EU energy directives. As part of the reshuffle, Stoltenberg replaces Trygve Slagsvold Vedum as Finance Minister.
The reshuffle, which sees a total of eight ministers replaced, also brings changes to other key government positions. Tore O. Sandvik has been named the new Defense Minister, succeeding Bjorn Arild Gram, while Astri Aas-Hansen has been appointed as Justice Minister. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store’s government retains Espen Barth Eide as Foreign Minister.
Originally set to take up the position of chair for the Munich Security Conference (MSC), a prominent forum for global security discussions, Stoltenberg will delay this appointment. The MSC forum is scheduled to begin next week. According to a statement from the MSC, Stoltenberg will assume the role of Finance Minister before returning to his position as MSC chair after concluding his public service.
In a statement, Stoltenberg said, “Having carefully considered the current challenges we face, I have decided to accept Prime Minister Store’s request to serve as his Minister of Finance.”
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