Labor lands top posts in Norway’s Parliament

From l to r: Dag Terje Andersen, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Helga Pedersen. Photo: Labor Party's Flickr page.

Labor Party veterans will be taking over top posts when Norway’s Parliament reconvenes next week.

The Labor Party’s Dag Terje Andersen leaves the post as Minister of Labor and Social Inclusion to become the new President of the Norwegian Parliament (Storting), replacing Thorbjørn Jagland who was chosen the new leader of the European Council. Andersen has been a member of the Storting for eight years, and has led both the Finance Committee and the Committee for Municipal Affairs.

The President of the Storting is Norway’s second highest official post, after the King. However, it is an administrative post, and he or she cannot make political decisions.

New Parlamentarian Leader

The Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Helga Pedersen, leaves the Cabinet to become Labor’s new Pariamentarian leader for the party’s 64 members of the Storting. Before joining the Government, Pedersen was County Governor of Finnmark from 2003 to 2005. She has also been Deputy Leader of the Labor Party since 2007.

Pedersen was well respected for her work to maintain northern-Norway’s relations with neighbouring Russia. Her knowledge of Russian language made her popular among regional leaders in the Russian part of the Barents Region, writes the Barents Observer.

It is not clear who will become the new Minister of Fisheries. A decision may not be made until the end of October.

Source: Norway Post / Barents Observer