Biography

Date of birth: 24 February 1961 in Bergen, Hordaland
Daughter of executive officer Asbjørn Solberg (1925–1989) and office worker Inger Wenche Torgersen (1926–2016)

Parliamentary terms

Member of Parliament no. 10 for Hordaland, 1989–1993, Conservative Party
Member of Parliament no. 8 for Hordaland, 1993–1997, Conservative Party
Member of Parliament no. 10 for Hordaland, 1997–2001, Conservative Party
Member of Parliament no. 6 for Hordaland, 2001–2005, Conservative Party
Member of Parliament no. 3 for Hordaland, 2005–2009, Conservative Party
Member of Parliament no. 3 for Hordaland, 2009–2013, Conservative Party
Member of Parliament no. 1 for Hordaland, 2013–2017, Conservative Party
Member of Parliament no. 1 for Hordaland, 2017–2021, Conservative Party
Member of Parliament no. 1 for Hordaland, 2021–2025, Conservative Party

Substitute periods

Government minister 19 October 2001–30 September 2005, Silja Ekeland Bjørkly served as substitute member of parliament
Government minister 1 October 2005–17 October 2005, Eli Årdal Berland served as substitute member of parliament
Government minister 16 October 2013–30 September 2017, Erik Skutle served as substitute member of parliament
Government minister 1 October 2017–30 September 2021, Liv Kari Eskeland served as substitute member of parliament
Government minister 1 October 2021–14 October 2021, Charlotte Spurkeland served as substitute member of parliament

Storting committees

1989–93

Substitute member, Election Committee, 10 October 1989–30 September 1993
Member, Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, 23 October 1989–8 November 1990
Member, Standing Committee on Consumer and Administrative Affairs, 8 November 1990–30 September 1993

1993–97

Substitute member, Election Committee, 11 October 1993–30 September 1997
Member, Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, 21 October 1993–30 September 1997

1997–2001

Substitute member, Election Committee, 8 October 1997–30 September 2001
Secretary, Standing Committee on Local Government, 21 October 1997–30 September 2001

2001–2005

Member, Election Committee, 9 October 2001–19 October 2001

2005–2009

First vice chair, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, 19 October 2005–30 September 2009
Second vice chair, Election Committee, 19 October 2005–30 September 2009
First vice chair, Enlarged Foreign Affairs Committee, 19 October 2005–30 September 2009

2009–2013

Second vice chair, Election Committee, 8 October 2009–30 September 2013
Member, Standing Committee on Health and Care Services, 20 October 2009–30 September 2013
Member, Enlarged Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, 20 October 2009–30 September 2013

2021–2025

Member, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, 19 October 2021–30 September 2025
Member, Enlarged Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, 19 October 2021–30 September 2025

Membership of specialist committees, internal boards and panels, etc.

1989–93

Member, Supervisory Committee for the Parliamentary Library, 1 October 1989–30 September 1993

Parliamentary delegations

1989–93

Substitute member, Delegation to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 18 March 1993–30 September 1993

1993–97

Personal substitute member, Delegation to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 4 November 1993–31 December 1994
Personal substitute member, Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, 1 January 1995–30 September 1997
Delegate, UN General Assembly, 1995–
Substitute member, European Consultative Committee, 21 June 1996–30 September 1997

2005–2009

Substitute member, Delegation to the Nordic Council, 20 October 2005–30 September 2009
Member, Delegation for Relations with the European Parliament, 10 November 2005–30 September 2009

2009–2013

Member, Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, 22 October 2009–3 November 2009
Substitute member, Delegation to the Nordic Council, 22 October 2009–30 September 2013
Chair, Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, 3 November 2009–30 September 2013
Substitute member, European Consultative Committee, 9 November 2009–30 September 2013

2021–2025

Member, Delegation for Relations with the European Parliament, 19 October 2021–30 September 2025
Substitute member, Delegation to the Nordic Council, 28 October 2021–30 September 2022
Member, Delegation to the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP), 28 October 2021–8 November 2021
Vice chair, Delegation to the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP), 8 November 2021–30 September 2025

Membership of group steering committees

1993–97

Member, Conservative Party Group Steering Committee, 1 October 1993–30 September 1997

2005–2009

Chair, Conservative Party Group Steering Committee, 9 October 2005–30 September 2009

2009–2013

Chair, Conservative Party Group Steering Committee, 1 October 2009–30 September 2013

Government positions

Government minister, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, 19 October 2001–17 October 2005
Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, 16 October 2013–14 October 2021

Education and professional experience

Education

Upper secondary school examinations 1979
Cand.mag. degree (sociology, political science, statistics, economics), University of Bergen 1986
Part-examination, economics (major) 1988

Professional

Secretary, Operation Day’s Work 1983–1985

Medals and awards, etc.

Commander, Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav 2005

Appointments

Municipal political service

Substitute member, Bergen City Council 1979–1983
Substitute member, Bergen Municipal Executive Board 1987–1989

Public appointments

Member, Bergen Local Education Authority 1979–1983
Member, Upper Secondary Education and Training Board 1979–1980 (pupil’s representative)
Member, University of Bergen Academic Senate 1986–1988 (student representative)
Member, Bergen Specialist Committee on Education 1987–1989
Member, Defence Commission 1990–1992

Elected party positions

Member, Bergen Young Conservatives Executive Committee 1978–1979
Chair, Bergen Young Conservatives 1980–1982
Vice chair, Hordaland Young Conservatives 1980–1981
Chair, Sandviken Conservative Party 1985–1987, vice chair 1987–1989
Member, Bergen Conservative Party Executive Committee 1986–1988
Election chair, Bergen Conservative Party 1987
Vice chair, Hordaland Conservative Party 1990–1993
Member, Conservative Party Programme Committee for 1993 parliamentary election 1991–1993
Chair, National Association of Conservative Women 1993–1994
Women’s Policy Chair, Conservative Party 1994–1998, first vice chair 2002–2004, chair since 2004
Member, Conservative Party Executive Committee 1994–1998
Board member, European Movement Norway 1995–1997
Member, Conservative Party Programme Committee for 2001 parliamentary election

Elected positions in organisations

Member, Norwegian Association of Gymnasium Pupils Central Board 1979–1980
Chair, Operation Day’s Work 1979
Chair, Bergen Conservative Student Association 1985–1986