Jonas Gahr Støre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jonas Gahr Støre
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Støre in 2022
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| 36th Prime Minister of Norway | |
| Assumed office 14 October 2021 |
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| Monarch | Harald V |
| Preceded by | Erna Solberg |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 14 June 2014 – 14 October 2021 |
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| Monarch | Harald V |
| Prime Minister | Erna Solberg |
| Preceded by | Jens Stoltenberg |
| Succeeded by | Erna Solberg |
| Leader of the Labour Party | |
| Assumed office 14 June 2014 |
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| First Deputy | Helga Pedersen Hadia Tajik Tonje Brenna |
| Second Deputy | Trond Giske Bjørnar Skjæran Jan Christian Vestre |
| Preceded by | Jens Stoltenberg |
| Minister of Health and Care Services | |
| In office 21 September 2012 – 16 October 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | Jens Stoltenberg |
| Preceded by | Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen |
| Succeeded by | Bent Høie |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 17 October 2005 – 21 September 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | Jens Stoltenberg |
| Preceded by | Jan Petersen |
| Succeeded by | Espen Barth Eide |
| Member of the Storting for Oslo |
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| Assumed office 1 October 2009 |
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| Deputy | Truls Wickholm Vegard Wennesland Frode Jacobsen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 August 1960 Oslo, Norway |
| Political party | Labour (since 1995) |
| Other political affiliations |
Conservative (before 1989) |
| Spouse |
Marit Slagsvold
(m. 1988) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Royal Norwegian Naval Academy Sciences Po London School of Economics |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Norway |
| Branch/service |  Navy |
Jonas Gahr Støre (born 25 August 1960 in Oslo) is a Norwegian politician. He has been the 36th prime minister of Norway since 2021. He is also the leader of the Labour Party since 2014.
Before becoming prime minister, Støre held important roles. He was Foreign Minister from 2005 to 2012. He also served as Minister of Health and Care Services from 2012 to 2013. Since 2009, Støre has been a member of the Storting, which is Norway's parliament, representing Oslo.
Støre grew up in Oslo and trained as a naval officer. He studied political science in Paris and international relations in London. He worked in the Prime Minister's Office for many years. He also led the Norwegian Red Cross from 2003 to 2005.
In the 2021 Norwegian parliamentary election, the centre-left parties won enough votes to form a government. As the leader of the largest party, Støre became prime minister. He formed a government with the Centre Party on 14 October 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Family Background
Jonas Gahr Støre was born in Oslo. His father, Ulf Jonas Støre, was a ship broker. His mother, Unni Gahr, was a librarian. He grew up in the Ris area of West End Oslo.
Støre's family has a history in business. His maternal grandfather, Johannes Gahr, ran the company Jøtul. His paternal grandfather, Jonas Henry Støre, was a leader at an explosives company. Støre's great-grandfather was a Conservative Party mayor.
In 1988, Støre married Marit Slagsvold. She is a sociologist and a priest. They have three sons. Støre is a Christian and a member of the state church.
School and Studies
Støre went to Berg School in Oslo. Then, he trained to be a naval officer at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy. He later studied political science for five years in Paris at Sciences Po. He also started a PhD at the London School of Economics but left after a short time.
From 1986 to 1989, he was a researcher at the Norwegian School of Management. He worked on a project called Scenarier 2000.
Career in Public Service
Støre started working in public service in 1989. He became a special advisor in the Prime Minister's Office. He worked for Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. She inspired him to join the Labour Party in 1995.
From 1998, he worked as an executive director at the World Health Organization. He worked under Gro Harlem Brundtland there.
Before becoming a minister, Støre was also the secretary general of the Norwegian Red Cross. This was from 2003 to 2005.
Political Journey
Chief of Staff Role
From 2000 to 2001, Støre was State Secretary and Chief of Staff. He worked in the Prime Minister's Office for Jens Stoltenberg's first government. This government focused on some changes, including privatization.
Foreign Minister Years
After the 2005 election, Støre became the foreign minister. He held this job until 2012. During this time, he became very popular with Norwegians.
In 2006, Støre spoke about the 2006 Lebanon War. He called Israel's actions "totally unacceptable." He also condemned Hezbollah's attack.
Støre also talked about the G20 group. He felt it lacked fairness in its decisions.
Safety Concerns
In 2008, Støre was in Afghanistan during an attack. He was not hurt, but six people died. The UN Secretary-General said Støre was the target. However, the Taliban denied this.
In 2011, Støre was also a target in the 2011 Norway attacks.
Health Minister Role
On 21 September 2012, Støre became the Minister of Health and Care Services. He worked in this role until 2013. He was replaced as foreign minister by Espen Barth Eide.
Member of Parliament
Støre was elected to the Norwegian parliament, the Stortinget, in 2009. He has been re-elected several times since then.
As a member of parliament, Støre nominated Maria Ressa for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. She was one of the two winners that year.
Leading the Labour Party
On 14 June 2014, Jonas Gahr Støre became the leader of the Labour Party. He took over from Jens Stoltenberg. Støre also became the Leader of the Opposition.
He led the party in the 2017 Norwegian parliamentary election. The red-green coalition did not win enough seats to form a majority government.
Støre led the Labour Party again in the 2021 Norwegian parliamentary election. This time, the red-green coalition won a majority. They defeated the government led by Erna Solberg.
After the election, the Labour Party and Centre Party started talks to form a government. The Socialist Left Party joined at first but later left the talks. On 8 October, Støre announced that a new government would be formed on 14 October.
Prime Minister (2021–present)
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Støre became prime minister on 14 October 2021. He formed a government with the Labour Party and Centre Party.
Policies in Norway
When he became prime minister, Støre announced his government's plans. These included:
- Improving working conditions and securing full-time jobs.
- Making sure Norway's natural resources help Norwegian industries.
- Starting a green industry plan.
- Reducing ferry prices and making some ferries free.
- Working to lower high electricity prices.
In October 2021, Støre said that stopping Norway's oil industry completely would not help climate goals. He believes Norway should change gradually from fossil fuels to green energy.
In November 2021, Støre announced new national measures for COVID-19. These included offering booster vaccines and tightening testing rules. He also announced a plan to help with rising electricity prices. If the price went above a certain level, the state would pay half of the extra cost.
In February 2022, Støre's government lifted almost all COVID-19 measures. This included social distancing and mandatory mask wearing. He reminded people that the pandemic was not over.
In April 2022, Støre apologized to the queer community. This was for past laws against homosexual relationships in Norway. He said the government was sorry for the shame and punishment people faced.
In August 2022, Støre supported the decision to euthanize Freya the Walrus. He said Norway sometimes has to make unpopular decisions.
In September 2022, Støre announced that the government would collect more money from power producers and fish farming. This was to help fund welfare services.
In November 2022, Støre announced that Norway would increase its climate goal. The goal changed from 50% to 55% reduction in emissions.
In March 2023, Støre apologized to the Sami people. This was for human rights violations related to wind farms. He later visited the Sámi Parliament of Norway. He promised his government would work to fix the issues.
In August 2023, Støre announced plans to electrify the Melkøya power plant. This would help cut emissions. In September, he announced a 1 billion NOK investment in artificial intelligence research.
In March 2024, Støre announced that Norway would reach its NATO defense spending goal. This means spending at least 2% of its GDP on defense.
International Relations
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Støre's government decided to send observers to a nuclear ban summit in Vienna. This made Norway the only NATO country to do so.
Asia
In September 2024, Støre visited China. He met with President Xi Jinping. He said China is an important partner for trade and climate change.
Baltic Countries
In February 2023, Støre discussed sending Norwegian fighter jets to Lithuania. This was a request from the Lithuanian President. In July, Norway extended its troops' stay in Lithuania.
Nordic Countries
In November 2021, Støre wanted to improve relations with Sweden after the COVID-19 pandemic. He defended the previous government's decision to close the border.
Støre called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's comments about Sweden and Finland joining NATO "baseless."
In June 2023, Støre spoke against the burning of holy books like the Quran. He called such actions hate crimes.
Africa
In December 2021, Støre met with the South African president. He praised South Africa for its quick alert about the Omicron variant.
Europe
In October 2021, Støre met with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. They talked about cooperation in the north.
Støre attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. He said Norway's oil fund aims to be a leader in responsible investments.
In January 2022, Støre met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. They discussed energy and the situation in Ukraine.
In May 2022, Norway changed the name it uses for Belarus. Støre said this was to show support for the Belarusian democracy movement.
Ukraine
After a cyberattack in Ukraine in 2022, Støre warned that Norway needed to be more alert to such threats.
He condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine. In February 2022, Norway froze its oil fund's investments in Russia.
In March 2022, Støre had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He urged Putin to end the war.
In July 2022, Støre visited Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He announced 10 billion NOK in aid for Ukraine. He also visited the ruined city of Yahidne.
In September 2022, Støre condemned Russia's annexation of Ukrainian regions. He said it was against international law.
In May 2023, Støre attended a summit in Helsinki with President Zelenskyy and other Nordic leaders. In February 2024, Norway provided 75 million NOK in support for Ukraine.
Americas
Støre criticized the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. He called it a "serious step backwards for women's rights."
In August 2022, Støre condemned the knife attack on author Salman Rushdie.
Middle East
In November 2021, Støre criticized Qatar for detaining Norwegian journalists. He said a free press is important for democracy.
In September 2022, Støre condemned Iran's treatment of women. This was after the death of Mahsa Amini.
Støre criticized FIFA President Gianni Infantino's comments about the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
After the Israel–Hamas war began, Støre condemned the conflict. He said Israel has a right to defend itself. In November 2023, Støre stated that Israel's actions in Gaza violated international laws.
On 22 May 2024, Støre announced that Norway would recognize Palestine as an independent country.
Political Views
Jonas Gahr Støre is seen as part of the business-friendly side of the Labour Party. This is similar to his mentors Gro Harlem Brundtland and Jens Stoltenberg.
Foreign Policy Views
Middle East
When Støre was Foreign Minister, Norway was one of the first Western governments to recognize the Hamas government. Støre had direct contact with Hamas leaders. He has also praised the humanitarian work of doctors in Gaza. Støre believes Israel's occupation of Palestinian land is against international law. In 2015, he said a Labour government would recognize the State of Palestine.
China
In 2015, Støre was criticized for trying to stop the Nobel Peace Prize from going to Chinese activist Liu Xiaobo. He was worried it would harm Norway's business with China. The Nobel committee still gave the prize to Liu. Støre later said he would not apologize to China for the award.
Libya
As foreign minister, Støre oversaw Norway's part in the 2011 NATO military action in Libya.
Other Activities
Støre is a member of the board of trustees for the International Crisis Group.
Images for kids
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Støre in 2022
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Jonas Gahr Støre's signature
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Royal Norwegian Navy emblem
