Cabinet reshuffle in Oslo
Norway’s foreign minister stumbles over her husband’s stock deals
October 16, 2023, 4:30 p.m
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Her husband’s share purchases are putting Norway’s foreign minister in distress. The companies benefited from government contracts. The department head claims to have known nothing about the deals. Prime Minister Støre still fills the post.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt has resigned. This was announced by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s office. Huitfeldt’s successor will be the previous Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide. Huitfeldt had been Foreign Minister since October 2021. The social democrat previously held various ministerial posts from 2008 to 2013 under then Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, now NATO Secretary General.
At the end of August, Huitfeldt admitted that after she took office, her husband had bought a large number of shares in a defense company that benefited from government contracts. Huitfeldt had apologized for not knowing the extent of her husband’s stock transactions. A parliamentary committee of inquiry was set up to investigate the incident.
According to Prime Minister Støre, this was one of the reasons why Huitfeldt is now leaving her post. At the same time as Huitfeldt’s resignation, there was a major restructuring Norwegian government. Among other things, the heads of the ministries of science and fisheries were replaced. The departments for climate, municipal affairs and labor were also filled. A new ministry was also created, the Ministry for Digitalization and Administration.