Norwegian Government Changes

Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg presented the changes in government to the King this Friday morning. Major changes include the transfer of Jonas Gahr Store from Foreign Affairs to the Health Ministry and the introduction of the 29 year old Hadia Tajik who is now the Minister for Culture. Tajik is the youngest ever person to be given a Norwegian ministerial position in the country. Stoltenberg’s announcement of her appointment came as a surprise and sparked spontaneous cheers and applause at the Royal Palace grounds in Oslo. Tajik was described by the Prime Minister as ”hard-working, knowledgable and new-thinking,” offering a “clear and strong voice” to the public debate.

Hadia's parents emigrated from Pakistan to Norway where they settled in small town in Rogaland along the Norwegian west coast. She is educated as a journalist and lawyer and has worked in the government at various positions.. In summing up her appointment, Stoltenberg said he’d been considering her as a minister ever since she worked as one of his advisers back in 2008.

The other changes include the transfer of immediate former Health Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen to her earlier docket as the Defence Minister while the relatively new current Defence Minister, Espen Barth Eide takes over the Foreign Ministry vaccated by Jonas Gahr Støre. The latter has served as the Foreign Affairs Minister the last seven years.