NORWAY

WATCH: Norwegian P.M. Jens Stoltenberg Goes Incognito as a Cab Driver

By Jacob DavidsonAug. 12, 2013Add a Comment

From English King Henry V to Haroun Al-Rashid, the ninth-century A.D. Caliph in Baghdad, there’s a rich historical tradition of leaders going incognito in order to find out what their troops, subjects, or constituents really think.

Last Friday, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg joined this illustrious group, disguising himself as a taxi driver in order to get the unfiltered opinions of Norway’s voters. Passengers were not told the identity of the driver, and their reactions were recorded as they complained about government, discussed politics, eventually learned that the cabby they had been speaking with was really the head of their government.

Stoltenberg is serving out his second consecutive term as Prime Minister. In 2011, he made international headlines for his stoic response to the Utoya massacre: a grisly killing spree perpetrated by right-wing extremist Anders Breivik that resulted in the deaths of 77 people. 69 of the dead were teenagers at a youth camp on the island of Utoya.

In a speech to the nation following the attack, Stoltenberg’s re-affirmed Norway’s commitment to its democratic principles: “We must never give up our values. We must show that our open society can pass this test too. That the answer to violence is even more democracy. Even more humanity,” he said.

The taxi stunt comes just weeks before the country’s next parliamentary elections on Sept. 9. Despite being credited with steering Norway through the financial crisis, Stoltenberg’s Labor Party has suffered a drop in support as voters have grown tired of the government’s long time in power. According to a poll published Monday, Labor lags behind its main opponents, garnering 41% of the public support compared to the Conservative Party’s 53%.

Those who entered the faux-taxi largely enjoyed Stoltenberg’s stunt, but did not admire his driving. The Prime Minister had not piloted his own car in eight years, and the rust showed as he bumbled through Oslo’s streets, sometimes stopping abruptly. ”I think that the country and Norwegian taxi passengers are better served if I were a prime minister and not a taxi driver,” Stoltenberg admitted afterwards.

by Taboola

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