Stoltenberg to succeed Rasmussen as NATO Secretary General

The Norwegian will be in charge from 1 October, when the current Secretary will leave the post after 5 years. He was Prime Minister during Breivik’s devastating terrorist attacks

The former Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, will be the new NATO Secretary General starting from 1 October. Anders Fogh Rasmussen is to leave his post after five years and two months, and his successor had to be appointed since a long time: no chances for the Italian candidate, Franco Frattini – who actually did not receive strong support by the government led by Renzi.

After a first, short mandate from March 2000 to October 2001, Stoltenberg was the Norwegian Prime Minister from 17 October 2005 to October 2013. During this second mandate, the country was devastated by two terroristic attacks by the right-wing extremist Anders Breivik, who killed 90 persons in Oslo and Utøya. Leader of the Norwegian Labour Party, he is currently a UN Special Envoy on Climate Change.