Norway's FM Anniken Huitfeldt demoted in government reshuffle

Barth Eide takes over the foreign ministry as Anniken Huitfeldt was forced to leave after it became known that her husband bought shares in weapons manufacturer Kongsberg Gruppen while she was in the government.

Huitfeldt said in a presser in late August that she was unaware of her husband’s trading of shares in the company, and that she therefore was not disqualified under the conflict-of-interest rules.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at the time said the foreign minister had made mistakes related to impartiality, but he stressed that he believed her and didn’t want to remove her from the position.

Norway’s political landscape was again shaken in September, after the regional elections, as it became clear that former PM Erna Solberg’s husband also had traded at large in stocks in the eight-year period she was in office.

Political commentators said it was difficult for Støre and his ruling Labor Party to lash out at Solberg over her husband’s stock trading as long as one of the current ministers had somewhat similar problems.

Anniken Huitfeldt will now return to her seat in the parliament.

Troubled government

In July this year, minister of research and higher education, Ola Borten Moe, resigned after it emerged he had bought bonds in the same Kongsberg Gruppen defence company. Borten Moe admitted to violating the conflict-of-interest rules as he was sitting in a government that made a 2,6 billion kroner (€226 million) deal in January with ammunition producer Nammo, a company owned 25% by Kongsberg Gruppen.

Borten Moe denied that his moves were to be considered insider trading.

New minister with long experience

Espen Barth Eide was until Monday minister of environment and has long experience in politics.

He first joined the government in 2000 as state secretary (deputy minister) in the foreign ministry. In 2010, Barth Eide again served the same position, until he in late 2011 was appointed to the post of defence minister. A year later, he was appointed foreign minister and served until the Labor Party lost the parliamentary elections in September 2013.

Government shake-up

Disappointed by the election results, PM Støre also changed several other ministers on Monday.

• Bjørnar Skjæran leaves the position as fishery minister and is replaced by Cecilie Myrseth.
• Marthe Mjøs Persen is replaced by Tonje Brenna in the ministry of labor and social inclusion.
• Andreas Bjelland Eriksen takes over the ministry of environment after Espen Barth Eide.
• Sigbjørn Gjelsvik leaves the ministry of local government and regional development. Erling Sande takes over this ministry.
• Kari Nessa Nordtun takes over the ministry of education after Tonje Brenna.
• Karianne Tung becomes minister No. 2 in the ministry of local government and regional development. She will be responsible for digital- and administration.