Norway PM plans cabinet reshuffle after loss in local elections

OSLO (Reuters): Norway’s Labour Party Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere will on Monday announce a reshuffle of the cabinet, his office said in a brief statement following days of media reports that changes to the government were imminent.

The announcement comes five weeks after municipal and regional elections in which Labour placed second behind the Conservatives, the first time since 1924 that the leftwing group failed to finish first in any nationwide vote.

The changes will be announced at around 0910 GMT, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

The most high-profile change is that Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt will be replaced by Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide, who served as foreign minister in 2012-2013, broadcasters NRK and TV2, and other media, reported.

In total, three ministers will leave government and two will move to new posts. A new position for digitalisation and artificial intelligence will be created, expanding the cabinet to 20 members, according to the reports.

Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, Industry Minister Jan Christian Vestre and Minister of Energy and Petroleum Terje Aasland were all expected to keep their jobs, the reports said.

The minority government of Labour and the Centre Party, in office since 2021 when it replaced a centre-right coalition, is lagging in the polls ahead of an election for parliament due to take place in September 2025.