On Thursday, Jonas Gahr Støre will go out on Slottsplassen as the country’s new prime minister.
He has further with him ten ministers from the Labor Party and eight from the Center Party, as Dagbladet could reveal today. The new Prime Minister loops the post of district and digitization minister, which today is held by Linda Helleland (H).
But who will make up Støre’s team – and what roles they will play – is still uncertain. Dagbladet is told this from sources close to the process.
Several media outlets have presented cases in which anonymous sources and background information reveal large parts of the cabinet cabal. But this should be premature, according to Dagbladet’s information.
– Work remains
Støre says it is clear who will enter government, but not everyone is informed, and more reshuffles are possible.
– The solitaire card is ready, but there is still work to be done.
– It is to contact people and everything should be connected. We have a couple of days on us, he says TV 2.
8 – 11
Changes pending
Støre told Dagbladet Monday that he is not yet at the finish line, but that he has already got several “yes” to enter government.
– There is still a lot to do. But I have started calling, and those I have called have said yes, says Støre.
But Dagbladet’s sources say that there may still be reshuffles in the last two days before the government is presented and that Støre is not in goal.
Rejects government jobs
Headache
One of Støre’s headaches is the post of Minister of Finance. Several media reported this weekend that the Center Party wanted Sigbjørn Gjelsvik in that post and thus keep Marit Arnstad as parliamentary leader in the Storting.
Arnstad enjoys great respect across the political environment and is a feared negotiator – among his opponents.
But VG reported yesterday that Støre had set foot for Gjelsvik as finance minister and challenged the Center Party to have one from the party leadership in the ministry who controls the money.
Dagbladet received confirmation yesterday that Gjelsvik not becomes Minister of Finance, but that it has been clarified that Sp will have this post.
NRK wrote last night that sources in Sp pointed out that Vedum himself will be finance minister.
Does not get the top job
Chain reaction?
This can start a chain reaction between the ministries. Vedum has been prepared to take over the Ministry of Local Government, but may be “forced” by Støre to take responsibility for fiscal policy.
Marit Arnstad will be another current candidate as Minister of Finance, even though the Center Party basically wants her in the Storting. According to Dagbladet’s information, Arnstad is a “central enough” name for the Labor Party to accept her.
Jonas got yes
Secure cards
Although Arnstad is not formally in the party leadership, she has in two teams with Vedum led the Center Party the last two parliamentary terms. She has been a coherent parliamentary leader since Vedum became party leader in 2014. It is unusual for a party leader in opposition not to be a parliamentary leader at the same time.
What is certain is that both deputy leaders in the Labor Party will enter government. Bjørnar Skjæran will be the new Minister of Trade and Industry, or the new Minister of Fisheries. Hadia Tajik can take on several roles, but is most often mentioned as the new Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.
Calling secret phones now
Several considerations
Party secretary Kjersti Stenseng confirmed yesterday to Dagbladet that she wants to stay at the party office.
Dagbladet is also told that what are otherwise “safe names” for specific ministerial posts are not yet 100 percent nailed down. It has long been expected that Ingvild Kjerkol will take up the post of Minister of Health, but there are also factors that must be taken into account in the solitaire.
This applies, among other things, to areas where the Labor Party has “double coverage” of strong names and profile areas where they may have to deploy a heavyweight who has profiled himself in another area.
–