Nikolai Astrup | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Astrup in November 2012 | |
| Minister of Local Government | |
| In office 24 January 2020 – 14 October 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Erna Solberg |
| Preceded by | Monica Mæland |
| Succeeded by | Bjørn Arild Gram |
| Minister of Digitalisation | |
| In office 22 January 2019 – 24 January 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Erna Solberg |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Linda Hofstad Helleland |
| Minister of International Development | |
| In office 17 January 2018 – 22 January 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Erna Solberg |
| Preceded by | Heikki Holmås(2013) |
| Succeeded by | Dag Inge Ulstein |
| Member of the Norwegian Parliament | |
| Assumed office 1 October 2009 | |
| Deputy | Astrid Nøklebye Heiberg Camilla Strandskog Eirik Lae Solberg |
| Constituency | Oslo |
| Leader of theOsloConservatives | |
| In office 28 January 2012 – 27 January 2018 | |
| Deputy | Kristin Vinje |
| Preceded by | Michael Tetzschner |
| Succeeded by | Heidi Nordby Lunde |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nikolai Eivindssøn Astrup (1978-06-12)12 June 1978 (age 47) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Helle Astrup |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics |
Nikolai Eivindssøn Astrup (born 12 June 1978) is a Norwegian politician representing theConservative Party. He served as Minister of Local Government from 2020 to 2021.[1] Previously he served as the Minister of International Development from 2018 to 2019 inPrime Minister Erna Solberg's cabinet, being the first sinceHeikki Holmås from 2012 to 2013. In 2019, he also became the first Minister of Digitalisation after theChristian Democratic Party joined the Cabinet, a post he served in until 2020.
Astrup graduated fromInstitut Le Rosey with anInternational General Certificate of Secondary Education (1995) and fromBerg Upper Secondary School with anInternational Baccalaureate (1997). He holds a master's degree in European Politics and Governance and a bachelor's degree in International Relations, both from theLondon School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Astrup worked inmanagement consulting at Arkwright from 2000 until 2002. Between 2001 and 2008 he was the editor of the conservative periodicalMinerva.[2]
Prior to his election to parliament, Astrup worked as political adviser for the Conservative Party parliamentary group and political adviser to the Governing Mayor of OsloErling Lae from 2008 until 2009.
Ahead of the2009 election for parliament, Astrup was nominated as the Conservative Party's fourth candidate forOslo, considered the lastsafe seat; he defeatedInge Lønning in the nomination. Astrup was elected Member of Parliament in 2009 and leader of the Conservative Party in Oslo in 2012 and has previously been leader of the OsloNorwegian Young Conservatives. He was re-elected as leader of the Oslo Conservative Party in 2014 and 2016 before stepping down in 2018, when he was succeeded byHeidi Nordby Lunde.Kristin Vinje served as his deputy throughout the entirety of his term.[3]
Ahead of the election in 2013 Astrup was nominated as the second candidate for Oslo, behind the Minister of Defence,Ine Eriksen Søreide. Due to his relatively young age, he was considered a rising star in the party at the time.[4] After the elections, Astrup was appointed as deputy leader of the Conservative Party Parliamentary Group, and he was re-appointed to this position after the2017 election. He held this position until his government appointment in January 2018.
In parliament, Astrup sat on theStanding Committee on Energy and the Environment from 2009 to 2015, and from 2016 to 2017 he chaired the Standing Committee on Transport and Communication. After the election in 2017 he was appointed chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and is the Conservative's spokesperson on issues relating to these issues.[2] For a number of years Astrup was also spokesperson on European affairs.
Following the cabinet's defeat at the2021 election, he was appointed spokesperson for energy and environmental policy.[5] He became the party's financial spokesperson following the2025 election.[6]
FollowingErna Solberg's resignation as party leader following the2025 parliamentary election, Astrup was considered one of the favourite candidates to succeed her. He officially announced his candidacy in October, stating that the party "needs to find back to itself".[7][8]
Astrup entered the Solberg cabinet in 2018 as minister of international development, a post he held until 2019. That year he was appointed minister of digitisation, and the year after, minister of local government.
Following theLiberal Party's entrance into the Solberg cabinet, Astrup was appointed minister of international development, the first person to hold the post in five years.[9]
In his capacity as minister, Astrup was appointed byUnited Nations Secretary GeneralAntónio Guterres in 2018 to the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation, co-chaired byMelinda Gates andJack Ma.[10]
After theChristian Democratic Party entered government on 22 January 2019, Astrup was appointed minister of digitalisation, the first of its kind.[11]
After theProgress Party withdrew from government in January 2020, Astrup was appointed minister of local government, succeedingMonica Mæland, who had been appointed minister of justice.[1]
Astrup championed the implementation of theSustainability Development Goals (SDG) in all of government and local municipalities, being among the first countries to localize the 2030-agenda, as the Norwegian prime minister Erna Solberg was the UN Secretary General's co-chair for the SDGs.[12]
In 2022, Astrup was Norway's candidate to succeedSusanna Moorehead as chair of theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development'sDevelopment Assistance Committee. In the final vote, he lost toCarsten Staur, who won the support of 16 members in the ballot compared to Astrup's 13.[13]
In March 2011, Astrup was named the "European of the Year" by theJEF Norway.[17]
In 2017, Astrup’s estimated net worth was $40 million, making him the wealthiest member of Parliament.[18]
Astrup is married toNordea attorney Helle Astrup, with whom he has three children.[8]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant Title last held by Heikki Holmås | Minister of International Development 2018–2019 | Succeeded by |
| New office | Minister of Digitalisation 2019–2020 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Local Government 2020–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of theConservative Party inOslo 2012–2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Parliamentary Leader of theConservative Party 2013–2018 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
