New political advisor in KD

The Office of the Prime Minister has from 20 April appointed Mr. Ketil Raknes (34), senior associate, Oslo, as political advisor to Minister of Education Bård Vegar Solhjell. He succeeds Mr. Audun Kolsrud Herning.

Ketil Raknes comes from a post as senior associate at Burson-Marsteller Norway. He was USA correspondent for the Norwegian weekly Morgenbladet 2006-2007, communications advisor at the Norwegian Red Cross 2005-2006 and has in several periods since 1999 been political advisor in the Socialist Left Party. Raknes holds a master’s degree in US politics from Georgetown University in Washington DC and the University of Bergen, Norway. In recent years he has been engaged in study seminars in Washington DC for Norwegian journalists, politicians and communications people.

The Government represents the Labour Party (Lab.), the Socialist Left Party (Soc.) and the Centre Party (Cent.). The list of political advisors now is as follows:

To Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (Lab.)
Ms. Mina Gerhardsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Finance Kristin Halvorsen (Soc.)
Ms. Sylvi Annie Bratten (Soc.)

To Minister of Transport and Communications Liv Signe Navarsete (Cent.)
Ms. Anne Tingelstad Wøien (Cent.)

To Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre (Lab.)
Ms. Gry Larsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Research and Higher Education Tora Aasland (Soc.)
Mr. Kyrre Lekve (Soc.)

To Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa (Cent.)
Mr. Lars Erik Bartnes (Cent.) – leave of absence 18 May-26 June 2009

To Minister of Defence Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen (Lab.)
Ms. Ragnhild Mathisen (Lab.)

To Minister of the Environment and International Development
Erik Solheim (Soc.)
Mr. Morten Wasstøl (Soc.) – leave of absence 2 March-7 June 2009
Mr. Arvinn E. Gadgil (Soc.) – acting from 27 June 2008

To Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk (Cent.)
Ms. Ane Kismul (Cent.)

To Minster of Labour and Social Inclusion Dag Terje Andersen (Lab.)
Ms. Hadia Tajik (Lab.)
Ms. Solveig Torsvik (Lab.)

To Minister of Health and Care Services Bjarne Håkon Hanssen (Lab.)
Ms. Lubna Jaffery Fjell (Lab.)

To Minister of Justice Knut Storberget (Lab.)
Mr. Eirik Øwre Thorshaug (Lab.)

To Minister of Culture and Church Affairs Trond Giske (Lab.)
Ms. Trine Synøve Lie Larsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Trade and Industry Sylvia Brustad (Lab.)
Ms. Fride Solbakken (Lab.)

To Minister of Government Administration and Reform
Heidi Grande Røys (Soc.)
Mr. Jørund Leknes (Soc.)

To Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Johansen (Cent.)
Mr. Jarand Felland (Cent.)

To Minister of Children and Equality Anniken Huitfeldt (Lab.)
Mr. Tord Dale (Lab.)

To Minister of Education Bård Vegar Solhjell (Soc.)
Mr. Ketil Raknes (Soc.)

To Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Helga Pedersen (Lab.)
Ms. Anne Cathrine Berger (Lab.)