Erna Solberg’s Government was formally appointed by King Harald V on October 16, 2013. The new government represents the Conservative Party (C) and the Progress Party (PrP).
After formally presenting the new administration to the King of Norway this Wednesday, Erna Solberg, head of Norway’s Conservative Party, could finally introduce her new, slightly smaller cabinet of 17 ministers from the Conservatives and the Progress Party to the public.
There are nine women and nine men in the new cabinet.
Mrs. Solberg (photo) is Norway´s new Prime Minister, while Siv Jensen, leader of the Progress Party is the new Minister of Finance.
Børge Brende (Conservatives), who until this morning was a member of the board of directors in Statoil, has been appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Norwegian government. He has served as Minister of Environment and Minister of Trade in the right-center coalition government from 2001-2005, and is eturning to top Norwegian politics after most recently serving as a top official at the World Economic Forum in Geneva.
There will no longer be a ministerial post devoted to foreign aid.
The new Minister of Business and Trade is Monica Mæland (Conservatives), a 45-year-old lawyer from Bergen. The current Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal affairs will seize to exist, but Elisabeth Aspaker of the Conservatives has been appointed Minister of Fisheries and will report to the Ministry of Trade.
Tord Lien is the new Minister of Oil and Energy. He is 38 years old, not all that well known on a national level but has been a Member of Parliament for the Progress Party since 2005. More on Mr. Tord Lien here.
Kristine Sundtoft (Conservatives) has been appointed Minister of climate and environment.
Consul general in Rio de Janeiro, Helle Klem expresses satisfaction over the new government.
“We expect that the focus on Brazil will continue, and Mr. Børge Brende, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, has visited Brazil before, in 2005, when he was the Minister of Trade and Industry. He still takes a lot of interest in Brazil”, Mrs. Klem said at an NBCC networking event in Rio de Janeiro on October 17, 2013.
OTHERS:
JUSTICE MINISTER: Anders Anundsen of the Progress Party
DEFENSE MINISTER: Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide of the Conservatives.
TRANSPORT MINISTER: Ketil Solvik-Olsen of the Progress Party.
MUNICIPALITIES & MODERNIZATION MINISTER: Jan Tore Sanner of the Conservatives.
CULTURE MINISTER: Thorild Widvey of the Conservatives.
HEALTH MINISTER: Bent Høie of the Conservatives.
EDUCATION MINISTER: Torbjørn Røe Isaksen of the Conservatives.
AGRICULTURE MINISTER: Sylvi Listhaug of the Progress Party.
LABOUR MINISTER: Robert Eriksson of the Progress Party.
CHILDREN, EQUALITY & INTEGRATION MINISTER: Solveig Horne of the Progress Party.
READ MORE: Conservative block takes over: How will the outcome of the parliamentary election in Norway affect Norwegian-Brazilian relations?
(Sources: Newsinenglish.no, Statoil, regjeringen.no)
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