Jens Stoltenberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jens Stoltenberg
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Stoltenberg in 2025
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| Minister of Finance | |
| Assumed office 4 February 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Jonas Gahr Støre |
| Preceded by | Trygve Slagsvold Vedum |
| In office 25 October 1996 – 17 October 1997 |
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| Prime Minister | Thorbjørn Jagland |
| Preceded by | Sigbjørn Johnsen |
| Succeeded by | Gudmund Restad |
| 13th Secretary General of NATO | |
| In office 1 October 2014 – 1 October 2024 |
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| Deputy | Alexander Vershbow Rose Gottemoeller Mircea Geoană |
| Preceded by | Anders Fogh Rasmussen |
| Succeeded by | Mark Rutte |
| Prime Minister of Norway | |
| In office 17 October 2005 – 16 October 2013 |
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| Monarch | Harald V |
| Preceded by | Kjell Magne Bondevik |
| Succeeded by | Erna Solberg |
| In office 17 March 2000 – 19 October 2001 |
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| Monarch | Harald V |
| Preceded by | Kjell Magne Bondevik |
| Succeeded by | Kjell Magne Bondevik |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 16 October 2013 – 14 June 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Erna Solberg |
| Preceded by | Erna Solberg |
| Succeeded by | Jonas Gahr Støre |
| In office 19 October 2001 – 17 October 2005 |
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| Prime Minister | Kjell Magne Bondevik |
| Succeeded by | Erna Solberg |
| Leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 10 November 2002 – 14 June 2014 |
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| Deputy | Hill-Marta Solberg Helga Pedersen |
| Preceded by | Thorbjørn Jagland |
| Succeeded by | Jonas Gahr Støre |
| Minister of Industry and Energy | |
| In office 7 October 1993 – 25 October 1996 |
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| Prime Minister | Gro Harlem Brundtland |
| Preceded by | Finn Kristensen (as Minister of Industry) |
| Succeeded by | Grete Faremo (as Minister of Petroleum and Energy) |
| Member of the Norwegian Parliament | |
| In office 1 October 1993 – 30 September 2017 |
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| Deputy | Anders Hornslien Inger Lise Husøy Ragnar Bøe Elgsaas Truls Wickholm Håkon Haugli |
| Constituency | Oslo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 March 1959 Oslo, Norway |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse |
Ingrid Schulerud
(m. 1987) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Karin Heiberg Thorvald Stoltenberg |
| Alma mater | University of Oslo (Cand.oecon.) |
| Awards | |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Norway |
| Branch/service |  Norwegian Army |
Jens Stoltenberg (born 16 March 1959) is a famous Norwegian politician. He is a member of the Labour Party. Since 2025, he has been the Minister of Finance in Norway. He has also served as the Prime Minister of Norway and as the Secretary General of NATO.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jens Stoltenberg was born in Oslo, Norway, on 16 March 1959. He comes from a family deeply involved in politics. His father, Thorvald Stoltenberg, was a well-known politician and diplomat. His mother, Karin Stoltenberg, was a geneticist and also worked in government.
Jens went to primary school at Oslo Waldorf School. He then attended Oslo Cathedral School for his upper secondary education. After school, he completed his mandatory military service in the Norwegian Army.
He later studied at the University of Oslo. In 1987, he earned a degree in economics.
Stoltenberg became interested in politics when he was a teenager. He was inspired by his older sister, Camilla. He joined protests against the Vietnam War, showing his early passion for important global issues.
Early Career and Political Beginnings
From 1979 to 1981, Stoltenberg worked as a journalist for a newspaper called Arbeiderbladet. This experience helped him learn about public communication.
He then became the leader of the Workers' Youth League from 1985 to 1989. This was a key step in his political journey. From 1989 to 1990, he worked for Statistics Norway, which collects important data about the country.
In 1990, Stoltenberg started his government career. He became a state secretary in the Ministry of the Environment. In 1993, he was elected to the Storting, which is the Norwegian Parliament. He served as Minister of Industry and Energy from 1993 to 1996. Later, he was the Minister of Finance from 1996 to 1997.
Prime Minister of Norway
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Jens Stoltenberg served as the Prime Minister of Norway two times. His first term was from 2000 to 2001. He then led the Labour Party from 2002 to 2014. His second term as prime minister was from 2005 to 2013.
As prime minister, Stoltenberg was known for his careful approach to politics. He was seen as a leader who wanted to modernize Norway. His government made some changes, including selling off some state-owned businesses.
During his time as prime minister, Norway's spending on defense steadily increased. This made Norway one of the countries in NATO that spends a lot on defense per person. Stoltenberg also helped update the Norwegian armed forces. He supported Norway's military joining various NATO operations.
Stoltenberg has always believed in strong cooperation between countries across the Atlantic Ocean. He also supported Norway becoming a member of the European Union.
He played an important role during the global financial crisis. He encouraged countries to work together to solve economic problems. He focused on reducing unemployment and investing in new ideas. Because of his efforts, Norway had one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe after the crisis.
Stoltenberg also worked hard on climate change issues. He believed that international agreements were the best way to reduce greenhouse gases. He worked with leaders like Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and US President Barack Obama to protect rainforests.
In 2014, he became the United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Change. He met with important UN leaders to discuss global warming solutions.
Stoltenberg has also been a strong supporter of vaccinating all children worldwide against diseases. He was on the board of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) from 2002 to 2005. He even received an award for his work on children's health in 2005.
NATO Secretary General (2014–2024)
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In 2014, Jens Stoltenberg was chosen as the 13th Secretary General of NATO. NATO is a military alliance of countries that work together for defense. His term was extended several times, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in NATO's history.
During his time as Secretary General, Stoltenberg worked to expand NATO. He also focused on making the alliance's military stronger. His leadership saw the biggest increase in NATO defense spending since the Cold War.
He finished his term as NATO Secretary General on 1 October 2024. Mark Rutte, the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, took over the role.
Minister of Finance (2025–present)
Jens Stoltenberg returned to Norwegian politics in 2025. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre appointed him as the Minister of Finance. This happened after another political party left the government.
Personal Life
Jens Stoltenberg is married to Ingrid Schulerud, who is a diplomat. They have two children. Their son, Axel, studies Chinese. Their daughter, Anne Catharina, is part of a music duo called Smerz.
He has one older sister, Camilla Stoltenberg, who is a medical researcher. He also had a younger sister, Nini, who passed away in 2014.
Stoltenberg enjoys spending his summer holidays at his family's cottage on the Hvaler Islands. He loves being outdoors. He often rides his bike and enjoys cross-country skiing in the winter. In 2011, he even traveled to Antarctica to celebrate 100 years since Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole on skis.
While he has been seen as someone who doesn't follow a specific religion, Stoltenberg has said he doesn't consider himself an atheist. He believes there is "something greater than man." He finds this feeling in nature and in churches.
See also
In Spanish: Jens Stoltenberg para niños
