Stoltenberg Declines Return to Norwegian Politics After NATO Role
Jens Stoltenberg, the former Norwegian Prime Minister and outgoing NATO Secretary-General, has ruled out a return to high-level politics in Norway.
Speaking at a press conference in Oslo on Friday, the 65-year-old confirmed that after a decade in his NATO role, he plans to support his Labour Party as an ordinary member rather than seeking a leadership position.
“I won’t be someone who comes home and starts having too many opinions about things I haven’t actually been involved with for 10 years – namely active Norwegian politics,” Stoltenberg remarked.
Stoltenberg, who led Norway as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001 and from 2005 to 2013, notably guided the country through the tragic aftermath of the 2011 terrorist attacks by Anders Behring Breivik, which claimed 77 lives.
On October 1, Stoltenberg will step down as NATO Secretary-General, passing the role to Mark Rutte, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He did not elaborate on his future plans beyond his involvement with the Labour Party.
