He held the post for a year-and-a-half, until Oct 2001, when the Labour Party suffered a severe defeat in the elections. After a term as leader of the opposition, Stoltenberg came back to power in Oct 2005, having won the general election, and was reelected for another mandate in 2009.

His dad, Thorvald Stoltenberg, was a top politician in two governments in the late 1970s- early 1990s, and Jens Stoltenberg was involved in politics from an early age. At university, he studied social economy, the queen of the sciences during the Labour Party’s golden years from 1945 until the 1970s.

His economic policies, however, have been rather different from those traditionally associated with the Labour Party, continuing Gro Harlem Brundtland’s move towards the political centre and a more liberal economy.

Stoltenberg is a well-liked politician in his home country, seen as reliable and trustworthy, although some argue he lacks his father’s charisma. He is, however, a very capable politician, and a good ambassador for Norway.

Jens Stoltenberg is married to diplomat Ingrid Schulerud and together they have two children, Axel and Catharina. He lives in Oslo and has a summer house in Søndre Sandøy, Hvaler, where he often spends his holidays with his family. He is a keen cross-country skiier, and an atheist.