Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide: Norges utenriksminister 2017–2021

Abstract

Artikkelen oppsummerer og vurderer Ine Marie Eriksen Søreides virke som Norges 32. utenriksminister i årene 2017–2021. Første del av artikkelen er en oversikt over Søreides handlingsrom. Innenrikspolitisk var det godt, med unntak av at Søreides sjef, statsminister Erna Solberg, la hindringer i veien for utøvelsen av hennes virke. De utenrikspolitiske rammebetingelsene var krevende. Donald Trump var den minst Europa-orienterte president USA har hatt siden Nato ble dannet. Et tiltagende aggressivt Russland skulle håndteres. Annen del er en vurdering. Søreide var svært flink til å skjøtte jobben og opprettholdt Norges spillerom. Hun tok imidlertid ingen initiativer for å øke spillerommet. Hennes svakeste side var lojalitet til egne medarbeidere. Alt i alt var Søreide den beste utenriksminister fra borgerlig side siden John Lyng (1965–1970). Abstract in EnglishIne Marie Eriksen Søreide, Norway’s Foreign Minister 2017–2021This article is a summing up of Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide’s work as Norway’s foreign minister in the years 2017–2021. The first part assesses Søreide’s room for manoeuvre. Domestically, this was excellent, although Søreide’s boss, the prime minister, broke one of her bats for domestic reasons and grounded her during the Covid lockdowns. Internationally, Søreide had to deal with Donald Trump, arguably the weakest and least engaged president the United States has had since its civil war. She also had to stand up to the increasingly aggressive policy of neighbouring Russia. Søreide steered the ship of state with a steady hand. She was, however, less than loyal to her employees, and demonstrated little creativity. Still, she must be ranked as the best foreign minister from the bourgeois side of the floor over the last half century.