Vidar Helgesen
{{Short description|Norwegian diplomat and politician}}
{{infobox officeholder
| name = Vidar Helgesen
| image = Vidar Helgesen portrett.jpg
| office = Minister of Climate and the Environment
| term_start = 16 December 2015
| term_end = 17 January 2018
| primeminister = Erna Solberg
| predecessor = Tine Sundtoft
| successor = Ola Elvestuen
| office1 = Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister
| term_start1 = 16 October 2013
| term_end1 = 16 December 2015
| primeminister1 = Erna Solberg
| predecessor1 = Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen
| successor1 = Julie Brodtkorb
| office2 = Minister of European Affairs
| term_start2 = 16 October 2013
| term_end2 = 16 December 2015
| primeminister2 = Erna Solberg
| predecessor2 = Office established
| successor2 = Elisabeth Aspaker
| office3 = State Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
| term_start3 = 19 October 2001
| term_end3 = 17 October 2005
| primeminister3 = Kjell Magne Bondevik
| minister3 = Jan Petersen
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|11|21|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Bodø, Nordland, Norway
| nationality = Norwegian
| party = Conservative
}}
Vidar Helgesen (born 21 November 1968) is a Norwegian diplomat and politician for the Conservative Party. He served as Minister of European Affairs and Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Erna Solberg from 2013 to 2015, and Minister of Climate and the Environment from 2015 to 2018.
Career
He served as Secretary-General of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance from 2005 to 2013.Vidar Helgesen, Idea.int. Retrieved 15 October 2013. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120825052041/http://www.idea.int/about/who/vidar.cfm Archived] at Webcite He was also a State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2005.{{cite web | url= https://www.stortinget.no/no/Representanter-og-komiteer/Representantene/Representant/?perid=VIHE | title = Biografi: Helgesen, Vidar | date = 9 November 2021 | publisher = Stortinget.no | accessdate= 3 September 2022 | language = no}}
=Ministerial appointments=
Helgesen was first appointed minister for European affairs, a post he concurrently held while being chief of staff to the prime minister; from 2013 to 2015. On 16 December 2015, he was appointed minister of climate and the environment, a position he held until early 2018, when he was succeeded by Ola Elvestuen once the Liberal Party had entered government.
=Minister of European Affairs=
He became the first minister of European affairs on 16 October 2013, a newly created ministerial post in Solberg's Cabinet following the Conservative victory in the 2013 election.{{cite web | url = https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/5x5bW/her-har-solberg-regjeringen-vaert-hos-kongen-for-foerste-gang | title = Her har Solberg-regjeringen vært hos Kongen for første gang | publisher = Verdens Gang | date = 16 October 2013 | access-date = 4 November 2023 | language = no}}
A month into his tenure, he presented the government's strategy to keep Norway visible in the European Union. Helgesen also pledged that they would fight for Norwegian interests within the EU.{{cite web | url= https://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/2013/11/16/186727/vidar-helgesen-vil-kjempe-hardere-for-norge-i-eu | title = Vidar Helgesen: – Vil kjempe hardere for Norge i EU | publisher = ABC Nyheter | date= 16 November 2013 | accessdate= 3 September 2022 | language = no}}
In October 2014, Helgesen expressed support for the EU's goal for new energy efficiency, but noted that it would succeed more if it also was free of charge. This came in response to criticism from the Liberal Party, who criticised the government for not taking enough action against reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.{{cite web | url= https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/mk05g/advarer-eu-mot-nye-fornybar-maal | title = Advarer EU mot nye fornybar-mål | publisher = Verdens Gang | date= 23 October 2014 | accessdate = 3 September 2022 | language = no}}
In December, he praised the decision to digitalise the Three Wishes for Cinderella film from 1973, noting that digitalising old films was important. He stated: "Digitalising this film makes it available on new media platforms. The alternative would have been that it would eventually be forgotten".{{cite web | url= https://www.nrk.no/kultur/askepott-far-digital-ansiktslofting-1.12111322 | title = Askepott får digital ansiktsløfting | publisher = NRK | date= 19 December 2014 | accessdate = 3 September 2022 | language = no}}
In late April 2015, Helgesen expressed concerns about Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán's comments that the death penalty should be a relevant debate. Helgesen stated: "Hungary is a democracy, but it is sometimes difficult to see the democratic mindset of Orbán in his statements". He also expressed that any EU member state that goes against the union's values should expect counter reactions.{{cite web | url= https://e24.no/internasjonal-oekonomi/i/OpWO73/ny-kontrovers-rundt-ungarns-orban | title = Ny kontrovers rundt Ungarns Orban | publisher = E24 | date= 30 April 2015 | accessdate = 3 September 2022 | language = no}}
=Minister of Climate and the Environment=
In a cabinet reshuffle on 16 December 2015, he was appointed minister of climate and the environment.{{cite web | url = https://www.nrk.no/norge/tre-statsrader-ma-forlate-regjeringen-1.12706406 | title = Her er de nye statsrådene i regjeringen | publisher = NRK | date = 16 December 2015 | access-date = 4 November 2023 | language = no}}
Helgesen was among the guests invited to the state dinner hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama in May 2016, which was in honor of Solberg and other Nordic leaders Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Sauli Niinistö, Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson and Stefan Löfven at the White House.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/complete-guest-list-for-the-nordic-state-dinner/2016/05/13/82eb610e-1949-11e6-aa55-670cabef46e0_story.html Complete guest list for the Nordic state dinner] Washington Post, 13 May 2016.
=Civic career=
In June 2020, it was announced that he would become the next executive director of the Nobel Foundation. He assumed the position in January 2021.{{cite web | url = https://www.nobelpeacecenter.org/en/news/vidar-helgesen-will-become-the-new-executive-director-of-the-nobel-foundation | title = Vidar Helgesen will become the new Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation | publisher = Nobel Peace Center | date = 10 June 2020 | access-date = 4 November 2023}}
In November 2023, it was announced that Helgesen would be appointed Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, with the rank of Assistant Director-General at UNESCO.{{cite web | url = https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/audrey-azoulay-appoints-lidia-brito-and-vidar-helgesen-unesco-assistant-directors-general-science | title = Audrey Azoulay appoints Lidia Brito and Vidar Helgesen as UNESCO Assistant Directors-General for Science | publisher = unesco.org | date = 2 November 2023 | access-date = 4 November 2023}}
References
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Category:University of Oslo alumni
Category:Conservative Party (Norway) politicians
Category:Government ministers of Norway
Category:Norwegian state secretaries