Dag Inge Ulstein (born 4 December 1980) is a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party.

Dag Inge Ulstein
First Deputy Leader of the Christian Democratic Party
Assumed office
13 November 2021
LeaderOlaug Bollestad
Preceded byOlaug Bollestad
Member of the Norwegian Parliament
Assumed office
1 October 2021
DeputyAstrid Aarhus Byrknes (2021)
ConstituencyHordaland
Minister of International Development
In office
22 January 2019 – 14 October 2021
Prime MinisterErna Solberg
Preceded byNikolai Astrup
Succeeded byAnne Beathe Tvinnereim
Bergen City Commissioner for Finance
In office
22 October 2015 – 22 November 2018
Chief CommissionerHarald Schjelderup
Preceded byEiler Macody Lund
Succeeded byHåkon Pettersen
Bergen City Commissioner for Social, Housing and Area Investment
In office
26 June 2013 – 17 June 2014
Chief CommissionerMonica Mæland
Ragnhild Stolt-Nielsen
Preceded byLisbeth Iversen
Succeeded byEiler Macody Lund
Personal details
Born (1980-12-04) 4 December 1980 (age 44)
NationalityNorwegian
Political partyChristian Democratic
SpouseIngjerd Mella Ulstein
Children4
OccupationPolitician

Ulstein was appointed Minister of International Development in Solberg's Cabinet on 22 January 2019, a position which he held until the cabinet resigned following the 2021 election.[1]

Political career

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Local politics

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Ulstein served as Bergen's city commissioner for social, housing and area investment from 2013 to 2014, when his party withdrew from the council cabinet, citing disagreements over a proposed route for the light rail to Åsane.[2][3] When Harald Schjelderup became chief commissioner following the 2015 local elections, Ulstein was appointed city commissioner for finance. He held the post until he stepped down in 2018.[4]

Parliament

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Having been a deputy to the Storting for the Christian Democratic Party from Hordaland from 2017 to 2021, Ulstein was elected representative to the Storting for the period 2021–2025. In the Storting, he was a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence from 2021.[5]

In June 2024, he announced that he wouldn't be seeking re-election at the 2025 election.[6]

Minister of International Development

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Following his party's negotiations to enter the Solberg cabinet, Ulstein was appointed minister of international development on 22 January 2019. This was despite the fact that he had supported the Labour favouring faction of the party in the path choice the year before.[7]

Other

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Ulstein is leading WHO's ACT-A Initiative (Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator). ACT-A is set up to lead the efforts to mobilize political and financial support to ensure equitable distribution of corona virus vaccines, medicines and tests. He is also a Board Member of the Global Center on Adaptation to address climate change.

He has previously held the position as head of development at Haraldsplass Diaconal Foundation, a specialised hospital. Prior to this position he was the general manager at Haraldsplass therapy and counselling center (2012–2014).[8]

Ulstein was considered one of the most leading candidates to replace Kjell Ingolf Ropstad as party leader after the resigned following a parliamentary housing scandal. Ulstein never confirmed his candidacy, but still pulled himself out of consideration in October 2021, thereby leading to Olaug Bollestad being the presumptive new party leader.[9] He was however open to become deputy leader.[10]

Party deputy leader

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Ulstein was designated as first deputy leader along with Bollestad as leader. At the party convention on 13 November, he won with 149 votes against Truls Olufsen-Mehus' 11.[11] He was re-elected at the 2023 convention alongside Bollestad, with Ida Lindtveit Røse joining as second deputy leader.[12]

He became acting party leader following Bollestad's resignation following a formal complaint made against her by parliamentary staffers over her leadership style and behaviour.[13] He was floated as a possible successor to Bollestad, which he initially declined to be considered before later reversing his decision in September.[14][15]

Civic career

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Ulstein was a vocalist in the Norwegian Christian pop-group Elevate.[16]

He would later serve as the vocalist for the electronica band Electric City.[17]

Other activities

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Personal life

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Ulstein is originally from Sula, Møre og Romsdal.[8] He in married to Ingjerd Mella, with whom he has four children.[21]

References

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  1. ^ Tvedt, Knut Are. "Dag Inge Ulstein". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Bergen kommune: Byråd Mæland III 2011-13" (in Norwegian). Bergen kommune. 27 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  3. ^ "KrF trekker seg: – Vi tvinges ut av byrådet" (in Norwegian). NRK Hordaland. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Håkon Pettersen er ny finansbyråd" (in Norwegian). Bergen kommune. 22 November 2018. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Ulstein, Dag-Inge (1980-)". Stortinget.no. (in Norwegian). Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Vårt Land: Dag-Inge Ulstein (KrF) sier nei til gjenvalg" (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Den røde taperen som vant statsrådstaburetten" (in Norwegian Bokmål). Aftenposten. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  8. ^ a b Bjørndal, Dag (25 May 2013). "Sex-rådgiver blir byråd" (in Norwegian Bokmål). Bergensavisen. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Duket for Bollestad" (in Norwegian). Dagbladet. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Ulstein vil inn i KrF-ledelsen" (in Norwegian). ABC Nyheter. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Olaug Bollestad (60) valgt til ny leder av KrF" (in Norwegian Bokmål). TV 2. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Ida Lindtveit Røse (30) inn i KrF-ledelsen - vant stemmeduell" (in Norwegian Bokmål). Verdens Gang. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Kilder til NRK: Bollestad trekker seg" (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Lederkrise i KrF: – Jeg har tatt min beslutning" (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK Rogaland. 23 August 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Dag Inge Ulstein snur: Vil bli partileder i KrF" (in Norwegian Bokmål). Verdens Gang. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Elevate-konsert på LUS". Sambåndet (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  17. ^ Helgheim, Sindre Vik; Leirvik, Jan Børge (27 June 2013). "Byråd med elektronika-hit på P3" (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK Vestland. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  18. ^ Board of Governors Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
  19. ^ Board of Governors Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group.
  20. ^ Board of Governors World Bank.
  21. ^ "Sex med bistandsvri" (in Norwegian). Dagens perspektiv. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
Political offices
Preceded by
Lisbeth Iversen
Bergen City Commissioner for Social Affairs, Housing and Area Investment
2013–2014
Succeeded by
Eiler Macody Lund
Preceded by
Eiler Macody Lund
Bergen City Commissioner for Finance
2015–2018
Succeeded by
Håkon Pettersen
Preceded by Minister of International Development
2019–2021
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by First Deputy Leader of the Christian Democratic Party
2021–present
Incumbent