”An excellent team for safe governance”

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg today presented a number of changes in the Government. Seven ministers have been given new fields of responsibility while six new ministers have been appointed.

”I am proud of the team we present today. This is a government that will contribute to leading Norway safely through the international finance crisis, and contribute to value creation and to our community. We will work together to reach the goals we have set for this government”, Jens Stoltenberg said.

The Government now consists of 10 women and 10 men. The age span is 32-66 years, and all parts of the country are represented in the Government.

“It has been important for us to secure a broadly representative government, and I am happy that we have been able to secure an equal number of women and men, people of different age, professional and regional background”, the Prime Minister said.

Ministers Bjarne Håkon Hanssen, Sylvia Brustad, Heidi Grande Røys and Bård Vegar Solhjell were honourably discharged from their posts today.

”I am grateful for their solid work, for important decisions and excellent cooperation. They have been members of an historic majority government. They have secured our victory in the recent election. And they have presented important matters in the previous period, matters forming the basis for a policy of increased community, value creation and justice”, the Prime Minister said.

After today’s changes the Government consists of 12 ministers representing the Labour party, four representing the Socialist Left Party and four representing the Centre Party. Labour ministers will now head the Ministry of finance and the Ministry of Government Administration and Reform, while the Socialist Left Party has taken over the Ministry of Children and Equality. A new post has been established as minister at the Office of the Prime Minister, to assist the Prime Minister in coordinating government work.

”The changes we make in fields of responsibility will contribute to political results.  Climate issues have been given additional awareness with an extra minister who will participate in international climate negotiations. The fields of integration and immigration have been moved from the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion to the portfolios of two other ministers in order to intensify our efforts in these fields. Labour issues will have its own ministry, in order to concentrate on the major reforms in this field”, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said.

”The outcome of the national elections changed the support for the Government parties from the previous period. It is natural that this influences the distribution of ministries and ministers”, Stoltenberg said.

The political platform presented at Soria Moria in Oslo on 7 October will be the basis for Jens Stoltenberg’s second government in this Storting period.