Erna Solberg
Encyclopedia
Erna Solberg is a Norwegian politician, and current leader of the Conservative Party of Norway
. She was the Municipal and Regional Minister in Kjell Magne Bondevik
's second government, 19 October 2001 until 17 October 2005. In 2005, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of St. Olav.
in Western Norway. She obtained an undergraduate degree
in sociology
, political science
, statistics
and economics
at the University of Bergen
in 1986.
city council in the periods 1979–1983 and 1987–1989, the last period in the executive committee. She chaired local and municipal chapters of the Young Conservatives
and the Conservative Party. She was the leader of the nationwide Conservative Women Association from 1994 to 1998, served as deputy leader of the Conservative Party from 2002 to 2004 and became party leader in 2004.
She was first elected to the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) from Hordaland
in 1989 and has been re-elected on four occasions. From 2001 to 2005 Solberg served as the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
under Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik
. Her alleged tough policies in this department, including a firm stance on asylum policy, earned her the nickname "Jern-Erna" (Norwegian for "Iron Erna") in the media
. However, numbers show that the Bondevik government (2001–2005) actually let in thousands of more asylum seekers than the later centre-left Red-Green government (2005–2009). In 2003, Solberg also proposed to introduce Islamic Sharia
Councils in Norway after being informed about the existence of such councils in the United Kingdom
, and in 2004 said that she wished increased immigration
to Norway.
whistleblower
, Mordechai Vanunu's
request for asylum
in Norway. While the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration had been prepared to grant Vanunu asylum, it was suddenly decided that the application could not be accepted because Vanunu had applied for it from outside the borders of Norway. An unclassified document revealed that Solberg and the government considered that extraditing
Vanunu from Israel could be seen as an action against Israel and thereby could be considered unfitting the Norwegian government's traditional position as a friend of Israel and political player in the Middle East. Solberg rejected the criticism and defended her decision.
http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/norsk-politikk/artikkel.php?artid=531398 http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/midtosten/artikkel.php?artid=531446 http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/midtosten/artikkel.php?artid=531497
Conservative Party of Norway
The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...
. She was the Municipal and Regional Minister in Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II...
's second government, 19 October 2001 until 17 October 2005. In 2005, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of St. Olav.
Early life and education
Solberg was born in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
in Western Norway. She obtained an undergraduate degree
Cand.mag.
Candidatus magisterii , Candidata magisterii , i.e. Latin Candidate of Arts, abbreviated cand.mag., is an academic degree used in Denmark, and formerly in Norway and Iceland, roughly corresponding to an American Master of Arts and officially translated as such...
in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at the University of Bergen
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...
in 1986.
Political career
Solberg was a deputy member of BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
city council in the periods 1979–1983 and 1987–1989, the last period in the executive committee. She chaired local and municipal chapters of the Young Conservatives
Norwegian Young Conservatives
Norwegian Young Conservatives is a Norwegian youth party. Its ideology is liberal conservatism, and the party is in many ways more liberal than its mother party, Conservative Party of Norway. Henrik Asheim succeeded Torbjørn Røe Isaksen as leader in 2008.- Leaders :...
and the Conservative Party. She was the leader of the nationwide Conservative Women Association from 1994 to 1998, served as deputy leader of the Conservative Party from 2002 to 2004 and became party leader in 2004.
She was first elected to the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) from Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
in 1989 and has been re-elected on four occasions. From 2001 to 2005 Solberg served as the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development (Norway)
The Minister of Local Government and Regional Development is a Norwegian minister that is head of the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development...
under Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II...
. Her alleged tough policies in this department, including a firm stance on asylum policy, earned her the nickname "Jern-Erna" (Norwegian for "Iron Erna") in the media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
. However, numbers show that the Bondevik government (2001–2005) actually let in thousands of more asylum seekers than the later centre-left Red-Green government (2005–2009). In 2003, Solberg also proposed to introduce Islamic Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
Councils in Norway after being informed about the existence of such councils in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and in 2004 said that she wished increased immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
to Norway.
Mordechai Vanunu controversy
In April 2008, it was revealed that in 2004 Solberg, as Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, rejected Israeli nuclearNuclear weapons and Israel
Israel is widely believed to be the sixth country in the world to have developed nuclear weapons and to be one of four nuclear-armed countries not recognized as a Nuclear Weapons State by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty , the others being India, Pakistan and North Korea...
whistleblower
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
, Mordechai Vanunu's
Mordechai Vanunu
Mordechai Vanunu ; is a former Israeli nuclear technician who, citing his opposition to weapons of mass destruction, revealed details of Israel's nuclear weapons program to the British press in 1986. He was subsequently lured to Italy by a Mossad agent, where he was drugged and kidnapped by...
request for asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
in Norway. While the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration had been prepared to grant Vanunu asylum, it was suddenly decided that the application could not be accepted because Vanunu had applied for it from outside the borders of Norway. An unclassified document revealed that Solberg and the government considered that extraditing
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
Vanunu from Israel could be seen as an action against Israel and thereby could be considered unfitting the Norwegian government's traditional position as a friend of Israel and political player in the Middle East. Solberg rejected the criticism and defended her decision.
http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/norsk-politikk/artikkel.php?artid=531398 http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/midtosten/artikkel.php?artid=531446 http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/midtosten/artikkel.php?artid=531497