Another fresh face in ‘junior minister’ post
In a re-shuffle of the government of Gro Harlem Brundtland, Greta Faremo was promoted from Norwegian Development Minister - widely viewed as a low-status post - to Minister of Justice, DT 16/92 reported.
Replacing her was the relatively unknown Kari Nordheim-Larsen from Telemark, who had never visited a developing country and had no experience in national politics. Not so strange perhaps, as Faremo was also unknown when she was appointed two years earlier.
The selection of Nordheim-Larsen confirmed the theory that Brundtland used the aid portfolio as a testing ground for inexperienced but potentially talented politicians. The carrot was the possibility of more prestigious assignments later on.
Faremo passed the test. But would Nordheim-Larsen?