Minister of Children and Equality Karita Bekkemellem, Labour, was replaced by party colleague Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen, the surprise change in the cabinet.
Osmundsen, born on the French island of Martinique, was educated as a lawyer in France. She is married to Conservative politician Terje Osmundsen, is a long-time resident of Norway and newspaper VG’s web site reported that she became a Norwegian citizen two weeks ago.
She has held a variety of positions in the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) and resigned as director of the UDI over the controversial granting of residency to a group of 200 Kurdish asylum seekers, which occurred when she was assistant director.
Stoltenberg said it was high time that the Norwegian government had a minister from an immigrant background.
"Now we get a government that reflects multi-cultural Norway better than before. I want Manuela to have a clear role," Stoltenberg said, and added that there was a historic perspective to the appointment.
Stoltenberg said that the Labour Party had a tradition of fighting for workers’ and women’s rights and the time had come to make the same fight for immigrants, in cooperation with coalition partners SV and the Center Party.
According to Stoltenberg the two SV ministers asked to be relieved of their duties, and he refused comment on Bekkemellem’s exit.
"I believe it is important with renewal. I think every government should have some after two years," Stoltenberg said.
"I am looking forward to working with all of the new ministers," Stoltenberg said outside the palace, and thanked all the outgoing ministers for their work. The changes involving the two SV ministers were widely linked to SV’s poor performance in recent local elections, when voters complained that SV wasn’t doing a good enough job in the areas of higher education and the environment, where it’s traditionally drawn support.