LONDON: Ex-NATO chief and former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has become the country's new finance minister, Prime Minis...
LONDON: Ex-NATO chief and former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has become the country's new finance minister, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said while presenting the new government.
Store was forced to reshuffle the government after the collapse of the ruling coalition. Last week, the Center Party, led by former Finance Minister Trygve Vedum, announced the end of its cooperation with the Labor Party. The reason for the collapse of the ruling coalition was the Center Party's non-alignment with the allies' energy policy and their plans for rapprochement with the EU, of which Norway is not a member.
"I am deeply honored to have been asked to help my country at this critical stage. 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," Stoltenberg said in a statement published on the Munich Security Conference website.
Earlier, Stoltenberg was appointed Munich Security Conference Chairman.
"I will return to the Munich Security Conference and to my other responsibilities when my tenure is over. I am grateful for the decision to temporarily release me from my duties while I serve my country once again. I will remain engaged with the Munich Security Conference and its many activities as much as my new office allows in the meantime," he pointed out.
Stoltenberg has become a member of a minority government ahead of the Norwegian parliamentary election, which will be held before September 8, 2025. The inclusion of the popular politician, who led the Center Party from 2002 to 2014, in the new government may help reverse the party's plummeting ratings.
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