The Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg rolled out his new Cabinet at 11:00 today. Although some ministers kept their present posts, both the age-range and a couple of appointments have caused a bit of a stir.

Labour dominates

12 out of 20 ministerial posts go to the Labour Party (Ap), who were the election’s big winners this time, with a total of 3 no-changers; the Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (50), the Minister for Justice Knut Storberget (45), and Jonas Gahr Støre (49), who continues in his post as Foreign Minister.

In keeping with Stoltenberg’s wish to see more of a balance of both sexes, a total of 6 women have been given ministerial posts, for Labour, and 10 altogether.

Grete Faremo (54, and the current vice-chairperson of Hydro) replaces Anne-Grethe Strøm-Erichsen (59) – now the Minster of Health – as the Defence Minister, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen (46) becomes the Fisheries Minister, and Rigmor Aasrud (49) – with perhaps the most duties of them all – becomes the Minister of Government Administration and Reform, amongst other things.

Anniken Huitfeldt (39) takes over the post of Minister of Culture from Trond Giske. It has been a tradition for both culture and the Church to be part of the same department, but Huitfeldt not being a member of the Norwegian Church has meant that Stoltenberg was obliged to free her from this responsibility.

Perhaps the one appointment that stands out the most is Hanne Bjurstrøm (49) as Minister of Labour

Bjurstrøm, is a new face in the Cabinet, and has been called the “joker in the pack” by Dagbladet. She will not be able to assume her duties until 21 December, as she is to head the Norway’s negotiations at the UN’s Climate Change Conference later on this year in Copenhagen.

Otherwise, Labour’s line-up looks like this: Trond Giske (42) moves to his post as Minister of Trade and Industry, Sigbjørn Johnsen (59) has been appointed as Finance Minister – taking over the post from Kristin Halvorsen – and Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen (50) will both continue to function as the Prime Minister’s Secretary of State, and will assume a new, specially-created post.

The significant others

The rest of the Cabinet comprises politicians from the other two red-green coalition parties – the Centre Party (Sp) and the Socialist Left Party (SV).

With four relatively old male ministers in important positions –Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, and Schjøtt-Pedersen’s new post – Labour has a strong grasp on governmental power. This is something which caused NRK’s commentator Kyrre Nakkim to remark

“I would have been worried if I were Kristin Halvorsen and Live Signe Navarsete because (these four old men) can veto the other two parties by using the power they have in these ministries,” he said on today’s 6 o’clock news.