Bård Vegar Solhjell (born 22 December 1971) is a former Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party. He served as Minister of Education from 2007 to 2009, and as Minister of the Environment from 2012 to 2013, both in Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet. Starting in March 2018, he is the Secretary General of WWF Norway.

Biography

Solhjell was born in

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality is the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 116,000 as of January 2020, following th ...

, and grew up in Sunnfjord in Sogn and Fjordane, Western Norway. Solhjell holds a master's degree in political science, with emphasis on Sociology, Comparative Politics, and History of ideas, at both the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...

and the

University of Bergen The University of Bergen () is a public university, public research university in Bergen, Norway. As of 2021, the university had over 4,000 employees and 19,000 students. It was established by an act of parliament in 1946 consolidating several sci ...

. He has worked as a teacher, and in the postal service. Solhjell was elected to Parliament in 2009 for Akershus County. He was a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, as well as the Parliamentary leader of the Socialist Left Party's group. He was one of two deputy leaders of the Socialist Left Party from 2007 to 2015, and a member of its central committee since 1999. Solhjell was party secretary of the Socialist Left Party 2001–2005. He was the deputy leader of Socialist Youth League between 1992 and 1994, before becoming a political adviser for the Socialist Left Party's Parliamentary group and a state secretary at the Prime Minister's office. Solhjell was appointed as minister on 18 October 2007, succeeding Øystein Djupedal. Djupedal's old department was split during the 2007 reshuffle, and Solhjell was the minister in charge of kindergartens and lower education up to, and including, the high school level until a new government reshuffle in 2009. In 2011, Solhjell published a book (Solidaritet på ny, Samlaget 2011) about solidarity, visions, and direction for the Norwegian red-green Government and for his political party, the Socialist Left Party (SV). Between 2001 and 2005, Solhjell was a member of the Norwegian Broadcasting Council. From 1992 to 1993, he was a board member of the organization "No to the EU". Bård Vegar Solhjell is married, with 3 children. He lives in Son, just outside Oslo. He enjoys music and literature, and coaches a children's football team.

Political appointments

*2012–2013 Minister of the Environment *2009–2012 Member of Parliament for the Socialist Left Party *2007–2009 Minister of Education *2005–2007 State Secretary at the Prime Minister's office *2001–2005 Party Secretary for the Socialist Left Party *1999– Member of the Central Board in the Socialist Left Party

Work Experience

*2000–2001 Political Adviser at the Parliamentary Committee of the Socialist Left Party *1994 Political Adviser of the Socialist Left Party

Education

*2000– Master's degree in political science, with sociology, comparative politics, and history of ideas, from University of Oslo and University of Bergen

References

Bård Vegar Solhjell
Entry at the ''Miljøverndepartementet'' (Ministry of the Environment)

Entry at the ''Ministry of the Environment'' (Ministry of the Environment)

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solhjell, Baard Vegar 1971 births Living people Socialist Left Party (Norway) politicians Ministers of climate and the environment of Norway Government ministers of Norway People from Sunnfjord Ministers of education of Norway Politicians from Kristiansand Research ministers of Norway Members of the Storting 2009–2013 Members of the Storting 2013–2017