Nikolai Astrup (politician)
Nikolai Eivindssøn Astrup (born 12 June 1978) is a Norwegian politician representing the Conservative Party. He served as Minister of Local Government from 2020 to 2021. Previously he served as the Minister of International Development from 2018-2019 in Prime Minister Erna Solberg's cabinet, being the first since Heikki Holmås from 2012-2013. In 2019, he also became the first Minister of Digitalization after the Christian Democratic Party joined the Cabinet, a post he served in until 2020. Education. Astrup graduated from Institut Le Rosey with an International General Certificate of Secondary Education (1995) and from  Berg Upper Secondary School with an International Baccalaureate (1997). He holds a master's degree in European Politics and Governance and a bachelor's degree in International Relations, both from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Early career. Astrup worked in management consulting at Arkwright from 2000 until 2002. Between 2001 and 2008 he was the editor of the conservative periodical "Minerva". 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 Oslo Erling Lae from 2008 until 2009. Political career. Ahead  of the 2009 election for parliament, Astrup was nominated as the Conservative Party's fourth candidate for Oslo, considered the last safe seat; he defeated Inge 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 Oslo Norwegian Young Conservatives. Ahead of the election in 2013 Astrup was nominated as the second candidate for Oslo, behind the Minister of Defence, Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide. Due to his relatively young age, he was considered a rising star in the party at the  time. After the elections, Astrup was appointed as vice-chair of the Conservative Party Parliamentary Group, and he was re-appointed to this position after the 2017 election. In parliament, Astrup sat on the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment from 2009-2015, and from 2016-2017 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. For a number of years Astrup was also spokesperson on European affairs. In his capacity as  minister, Astrup was appointed by United Nations Secretary General António Guterres in 2018 to the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation, co-chaired by Melinda Gates and Jack Ma. Recognition. In March 2011, Astrup was named the "European of the Year" by the JEF Norway. Personal life. In 2017, his estimated net worth was $40 million, making him the wealthiest member of Parliament.