Yes that’s a normal way for Norwegian to react when we see someone famous 😂 I literally front collided with a shopping cart with Mette-Marit, crown princess of Norway shopping cart when I was shopping in Geilo. And the whole incident we were talking like equals. She was very sweet and kind. She asked me if I was fine and she apologised for the incident. She even let me past her in the line at the check out ❤
I totally agree. I am in UK but as I am in Scotland, I feel like to many MPs in Westminster think they should be treated as celebs rather than public servants.
It says a lot about the Scandivavian culture in general. People are more equal, not only in terms of opportunity and money, but also in how we relate to one anorher. Bosses and workers are not miles apart. People and politicians can relate to eachother. The difference beween rich people and "poor" people is not as big as in the US. Rich people generally don't live in HUGE mansions and poor people don't live on the streets. People are just.. People.
Norwegian here & you described our way of life perfectly, i have family members with high positions in the government but they are still just normal people who will join in on x-mas celebrations in Santa hats & so forth.😂😁
Me and my father passed Stoltenberg on a crosswalk in Oslo when I was a kid, and he said to "hi" to my father + nodded + smiled, and my father said "hi" back as we passed him. Even in Norway, times have probably changed, because I can't imagine our current prime minister (Støre) would treat citizens the same, but again that's partly because he has been unpopular since he got in - in 2021. Former PM Erna Solberg was (is?) the same as Jens Stoltenberg though. Now I realized we should seek such a qualification in a future prime minister, when next election comes next year
While he was the leader of the Labour Party here, and I do not vote for them then or now, I have massive respect for this man. I do not think the labour party will have an equally great leader anytime soon. He was not just a labour party leader, he was a leader for all and it shows in this video. Like you said, regardless of political view, everyone was comfortable discussing and asking questions, because he will listen and he will give you an honest response. Moreover, you should look for videos of how he reacted and his speech after our terrorist attack back in 2011. Even though it was his own party, their future politicians that had been targeted and killed... He still found it in him, to view it as not just a politcal targeting, but a democracy targeting. His speech was all inclusive and it was one of the most impressive speeches I heard.
He definitely outgrew the position of Norwegian Prime Minister, so when he went on tho be leader of NATO I wasn't too surprised. Solid dude. Extremely solid.
You should look up Stoltenberg these days! He’s been leading Nato since 2014. He has had a crucial role in navigating the war in Ukraine. And have been asked twice by Biden and other leaders to carry on - even though he was due to leave some years ago. Also look up Norways strong ties to USA - historicaly and today.
My sister works in NRK which is the state owned media company in Norway. At the time she was the director of the evening news and Stoltenberg was the PM. I was waiting for her to get off work so I could drive her home and I was sitting in the waiting/staging area and Stoltenberg came in and was about to do an interview. This was a Sunday and I was in full hiking gear since I had just came in from two nights out in woods fishing with some friends and reeked of bonfire. He made a joke about it and we spent a few minutes talking about fishing before he went on TV. The dude is just a guy, albeit better than average at smalltalk 😂
When Jens (the taxi driver) was still (just) the Norwegian minister of finance, he used to bike to work and back. Now as the secretary general of NATO, I believe that would be out of the question. Too dangerous.
People are very grounded in Norway...we don't look at politicians (or celebrities)as being better that the average citizen...as it should be in a democracy 👍🇸🇯
Agree with you, those ppl i goverment isn't ther for stardom, they are there for us ppl. Vote is your choose who you want to represent you. Democrati works if you do your duty (vote) red og blue ✌️👌
The old guy in the beginning of this video, and the first to recognise him, was my step dad for 18 years 🤗 he has past away now rip. ... funny to see this again 😂
in Norway we think politicians more as commoners than celebrities with. they are almost just like us, they're people with a job providing for themselves and their families. they have a life outside of the politics as well. I went skiing with my family earlier this year and I met Jens Stoltenberg and Jonas Gahr Støre, they were on a ski trip together, and we sat down and had a nice talk.
I think one of the unique thing about Norwegian and Scanidavian politicians are that they debate politics with passion and disagrement, but still are cordial and friendly (mostly) outside debates and the Parlament. They are for the most part polite and some freindly towords each other. Not naming names etc.
It is important to remember that Norway is a safe country, among other things because the ration between politicians and population is rather high, and the use of safety staff around our politicians is minimal. Usually the party leaders have body guards, from the police, but they do often travel without them when they are not on a pre-planned place. And if you spend time in the city center around the parliament building and the government building you will see the top brass. It was not uncommon during Jens time in office to see him or his cabinet walk from their meeting with the King every Friday, during summer, and it is quite well know that he was often to be found running around on of the lakes in the forest, with or without his bodyguards. I am reminded of a situation back in 1999, when then President Bill Clinton was on a short stay in Oslo, and he did get a desire for a coffee and got his limo to stop just outside a coffee-bar downtown and just walk in to get a coffee, it was not planned and the shop had not been vetted before, but as fare as I understand Secret Service did just think that the risk would be pretty much zero that anything would happen. President Clinton did if I remember right comment on it to the journalist at the time that it was a nice change to just be able to do that. To just find a coffee-bar and go in to order. The staff was a bit surprised off cause, but they did their jobs. I do think it does tell a bit about how we still are, stoics and we do believe that we are pretty much the same every last one of us, yeah we have a King, and a crown prince, they seem like nice guys, it they did not seem to be, I would have expected that Norway would have been a Republic with in months. But as one of our late comedian and everyday philosophers did put it. Norwegians love our king, as long has he do not think him self anything grand.
Norway must be safer than most places, but Bill Clinton was known to break his healthy diet and randomly rush into cafes to get fattening food. Once, while he was jogging to lose weight in Washington, D.C., he lost his willpower and jogged into a McDonald's restaurant to eat a lot of fattening food. He's also a pathological liar, so he lied about it and claimed that he was there to meet the American people. "Saturday Night Live" mocked him in a comedy skit about it. In the skit, customers asked political questions, and Bill Clinton took the customers' fattening food out of their hands and ate it, pretending that he was using it to demonstrate political ideas.
@@Mary_Thompson Thanks for that information. Good to be corrected. Good to know. How could the Secret Service let him jog anywhere near a fast food restaurant?
@@Noomi-v8j I do agree, they are pretty much freaking out. It is for Scandinavians strong reaction. But I can understand why it doesn't seem so to Americans. Since they are calm and collected. We do not scream, we do not yell, but the reaction is strong here that is true. This video must have been recorded much more then 2 years after July 22. So it my also explain why people reacts like they did, "More openness, more democracy" In deed.
I was late for a conference at a hotel in Oslo, had my head barried in my phone to get directions and just saw this guy in my peripheral vision that I almost walked into. When I looked up, it was Jens Stoltenberg, then prime minister, standing there. Don't know the year, but didn't see any security around him, so it was probably before the 22nd of July attacks in 2011. A colleague of mine sat beside him on an airplane to Svalbard. He was a bit starstruck, but finally decided to talk to him, and they had a casual discussion about hunting and wildlife while eating Vestlandslefse. I've since got into politics myself, and now I'm on the municipal council. When I just started with politics, the minister of culture came on a visit, and I took some pictures on my phone. She asked me if I could send them to her, and gave me her personal phone number, which I don't think is very common in other countries.
Trying to imagine this with Rishi Sunak. Can you imagine the abuse? "Oi, Rishi, when you calling an election then." "When you sending the marbles back to Greece then." "Yeah, can you take me to where the Brexit benefits are please." "I just tested positive for Covid, nearest old folks home please. Hear you lot think that's appropriate." "So is Liz Truss really as mental as she comes across or is she just pretending."
He is just a down to earth guy. He said in an interview once that he used to smoke weed when he was younger. One time, my friends and I was sitting in a park in oslo sharing a "cigarette" when Jens Stoltenberg walked past us, he could clearly see the joint and smell it but he just waved, said hello, smiled and walked away
The reaction is normal for Scandinavia. This reminds of that woman that was shopping at the Cph market and next to her was our queen shopoing for tomatos and so on. She just said... Nej da..er de her.? No are you actually here.? She used the formal you but thats again a European thing I think. 😊 So no, we don't go overboard, we just go.. Ha! that's funny wait till i tell my kids or whatever.
His father was altso a very well known figure.He used to invite all kinds of people,forein leaders,diplomats,and people from the streets.He served simple sandwiches.
Everyone knows Jens Stoltenberg. As a leader of the Labour party and prime minister he was a target during 22 of july attacks on the government and Utøya 2011.
I can tell you that it sort of is a Norwegian thing, their reactions. But in a very good way mostly, because he is very doen to earth, and a pretty normal guy. Norway is a small country, and politicians dont are not superstars like that:)
I think that after the tragedy at Utøya Jens became a familiar face to all scandinavians. I am from sweden and he feels safe to me somehow. Famous yes, but safe and familiar in a way that not many politicians do.
I’m a Norwegian and when I have met celebreties on the streets I have pretended I didn’t know who they are🙈 Both because of shyness and because I will let them be normal people. But if I sat in a taxi with Jens Stoltenberg I would probebly laugh too and have a conversation. It’s so waird to me that their reactions are weird to you😂😂
That weird thing where you scream upon seeing a celebrity ain't exactly that common in Sweden, maybe amongst 14 year old girls. Sure you get surprised and so when you see some star but yeah, they are humans too. Nothing to get too excited over. :D
Their reaction is 100% a norwegian thing. And generally, celebrities love coming to norway, because we often leave them alone and are generally very calm around them.
In Scandinavia, politicians live close to average Joe lives. The former prime minister of Sweden used to be a welder who rose to power through his workers Union. He’s an average Norwegian. I ran into the defence minister of Norway, driving an electric scooter on her way to a tv interview. She casually said “Hi” when she passed me. Had a lot of encounters like this with both Norwegian and Swedish politicians and the royal families of both countries.
That was fun. I met with Stoltenberg once when I was in high school back in 1989. He was a very polite and pleasant young man. I like the work he's doing at NATO.
The fun fact is, he opposed the Norwegian NATO membership, in his youth. Then he ended up as the Nato Secretary General. A position he still holds. - Some years ago he had a summer vacation home, just next to my brother. And one time my mother stayed for a visit there. Then Stoltenberg just walked by on the lawn. My mother would like to say hello, and introduce herself, and said: I can’t pretend to say I don’t know who you are. But I just wanted say hello. - He replied, but I know who you’re too, . You’re the mother of, …so my brothers name. She was a bit flattered. He’s very nice, and down to earth guy.
This is SO Nordic! I am Icelandic, and when I have encountered our presidents/prime ministers etc. (I actually HAVE, we are a small nation) we are ALWAYS on a first name basis! Our previous president, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, was born and raised in the same community as I was, Ísafjörður, an the times I have met him (more than once), he is simply addressed by his first name, Ólafur or Óli. It is what he IS as an individual, and even if he is a bit special (an university degree in Political Science), a controversial political career and, finally, our most notable former president, he is still "Óli rakarans", i.e. Óli, the son of the local barber that went on to do meaningful and important things.
I remember when i was a kid i saw the king and queen holding a speach at an event. When i was on my way home they drove by me and when i waved at them the car slowed down and they opened the window and waved back to me. That was a great moment for a kid.
You should watch Ylvis' "radio taxi" pranks. They basically prank people in the taxi by singing songs about them over the radio and see how long it takes until they realize. They're really famous comedians in norway, and they're also the same guys who sang "What does the fox say?" back in 2013
You should check out the humor sketch about "not enjoying skiing" from norway. It features erna solberg, our previous prime minister, basically ordering the torture of a guy for mot liking skiing. And she plays herself
As the largest country in NATO, the US, you should know Stoltenberg. He has been, and still is, NATO Secretary General. And has been for close to 10 years.
It's important to remember that the government works for the people, not the other way around. I got a feeling our politicians still remember this, that's why our trust to them is quite high. Stoltenberg is a good guy, and he's priceless as NATO Secretary atm. It's also important to remember politicians are humans as well. If you meet a politician on the street, you meet him as a fellow human. Most people have the decency to not start a political argument at that time but treat them as fellow humans. This was a great video.
there's a show going on now in Norway, "Jaget" (translates to Hunted) where 8 celebrities are on the run from detectives, and our Princess is one of the contestants. out in public, no "secret service" type of thing going on
This is actually his best moan. But there are several famous people who use both bus and train to work, just like ordinary people. For example, King Olav took the tram up to Frognersetern by Holmenkollen to go skiing. And when skiing is mentioned, both Stoltenberg and Støre (Today's Minister) went on ski trips together before Stoltenberg joined NATO!
Politicians in America have more/bigger duties; America has a very diverse population of 340 million people and global responsibilities.. Norway's politicians & royal family -- 5 million people.
Yes, this is a Norwegian phenomenon. When we see celebrities walking around in the city, they usually don't get disturbed by others, even if they are well liked/ popular. I think people want to give them their space and freedom to enjoy their day.
People pass out and scream waiting for Kaizers Orchestra etc. Politicians are just not considered celebreties in the same way and expected to be more grounded.
I was once seated vis a vis Ingvar Ambjørnsen on the train. I wanted to be an author back then, so I really wanted to speak to him, because he was my number one superstar, but he was reading a newspaper so I left him alone. Isn't that how it should be?
Jens Stoltenberg became NATO Secretary General in October 2014. As a former Prime Minister of Norway and UN Special Envoy, Mr Stoltenberg has a distinguished record of domestic and international achievements spanning security, defence, climate, energy, and economics. He is a strong supporter of greater global and transatlantic cooperation. NATO Allies have extended Mr Stoltenberg’s term by unanimous consent four times, and his term will end on 1 October 2024.
Part of the reason for the reactions is that we see him as a normal human being. (As he really is.) Is that he is part of the people, part of Norway, and thus our equal as a human being. Norway is the people inside this country, and without us, togetherness and love we are nothing. Also without us, politicians wouldn't have a country to rule, so they need us, and treat us accordingly too. It's a two-way street of respect. Yes celebrities will always be celebrities. But in Norway we all try and treat each other equally. No one should be treated better or worse based on what they have or don't have. Because in the end we are all human, and deserving of love, respect and care. Of course, I also think that those who were in the car also talked and laughed about this with friends and family for years afterwards. Because after all, not many people can say they were driven by the minister. 🤩
Norwegians are more down to Earth and relaxed and quiet ( don't shout that much ) with a more low key humour. I guess they just recognise him via his reflection in the rear view mirror 😉
I recommended watchin YLVIS following Erna Solberg eng subs:) You will get a similar impression of the Norwegian peoples relationship with their leaders with a different prime minister.
Regarding starstruck.. It matters that the distance "up" isn't that far. We're only 5.5 million people. For example, an alumni and former class mate of mine is a leader of the local Labour party which means he knows a former mayor here who is now a Minister in the Cabinet. Being a Minister that guy is in the weekly Cabinet meeting with the King and the other Ministers.. So I am two people away from the King and the entire Cabinet, even though I'm a nobody on disability. This is not to brag, just to showcase what living in a small nation sometimes mean. Meeting our own celebrities simply isn't that improbable. (But that technically means I'm three people away from all the heads of state they've met. When you think of the world in terms of relations it gets a bit smaller.) By happenstance I've been in the close proximity of two Kings, several ministers, and multiple TV-personalities (riding close to them in the same train or plane f.x.) simply because we are a small nation. I did meet Stoltenberg once though. He has this ability to make you feel like right then and there he has noticed you, even if it is just for a few seconds.
Celebreties are people too.. As you know we respect everyones personal space.. A couple of years ago a world famous rock band played a concert in Bergen Norway (I Believe it was The roling stones), and later in the evening the Band menber sat down in a pub enjoying a beer. and he sat there as a normal person having an conversation wiith the person next to him.. We seldom get starstruck.
its a very norwegian thing, we dont react much to 'celebs' and 'politicians' here, as you can see them by chance every now and then, like a friend of mine passed by Erna Solberg on the streets walking back from a party around 11pm. They seem very 'down to earth' for us besides their job.
I never called any of my bosses by their last name... Always call them by their first name, coz this is how it is here... And the bosses know what the problem is, coz they speak with all in the company and not just the in between leaders... If I ever had meet Jens Stoltenberg on the street I would have said, "Hei Jens, nice to meet you!". Under a petrol strike in the 70's the king of Norway, King Olav V (5th), took the tram like everybody else. He was once asked by foreign press if he wasn't afraid somebody would harm him on the tram trip, but he just looked at the person and said, coz it was true, "I have four million body guards", the whole people of Norway. When he died EVERY store had a picture of him with a black ribbon. The king was dead, long live the king. His son, Harald V is our king now and we love him too..
It is a Norwegian thing for sure, we are calm people. We can be starstruck but we don't go off the wall. I think this was done for a tv show a short time befre the election, so it was not something he usually did as a Prime Minister. But I think this says a lot about Norway, you can be famous and still walk around in the country without tons of bodyguards keeping you away from the normal people. As a Prime Minister you have a security detail and a driver. He once said in a tv show that if he got in the back of a car and it didn't start to drive shortly after, then he probably wasn't Prime Minister any more :-)
You can be sure these guys have been screened... the primeminister do have security around him, but yes they do let people come close ofcourse. There was these comedians who did a show on Erna, following her around playing a instrument and singing what she was doing ...
I find this video really funny becouse im a member of the Norwegian labor party, and i heard from some higher ups (i believe it was the current party secretary) that Jens is actually really bad at driving😆
I am from germany and we are not that close to our politicians. The former foreign minister Joschka Fischer was driving taxi once before becoming a politician. And i had a personal meeting with our current president once. I was working on an oil field in Libya and suddenly the chancellery minister and coordinator of secret services showed up with two men in black to prepare a visit of the chancellor Schröder app 20 years ago. In the evening after work i went to the coffee room and there the minister was sitting alone and i asked him some questions, he did too. He seemed just like a normal dude. I disappeared soon because i have the tendency not to stop talking once i started and he seemed to have looked for a silent place to have some time for himself. Some weeks later the chancellor arrived in the desert with a plane from the Bundeswehr some journalists and tv crew and was officially opening a new oil well plus some interview with some oil tanks in the background. I was just working and saw them driving past my building. I dont think there were more than 3 security guys with him. They prepared us company men before to drive in a column without space between the cars so no other vehicle would be able to squeeze in but that was it. I was not involved anyway.
He actually ended up launching his party's election campaign that year in my literal backyard (I honestly thought the flyer I got in my mail about it was a joke, because why choose my neighbourhood when he's from the opposite side of the country and had to my knowledge zero ties to the neighbourhood - turned out the party's mayor candidate lived on my street and that was why they had chosen it). Only time I have met a prime minister while they were still the acting prime minister (I have walked past Erna while she's been campaigning - but that makes more sense since she's from my city and it's been where all the parties have their campaign boots in the city center, not my literal neighbourhood, lol)
Well, he did once as a publicity stunt when there was a gas shortage and people were encouraged to use public transportation ("even the king is doing it!") and it's been kind of mythologized. Not that he wasn't an approachable king
@@magnusalexander2965olav was "the king", i have a friend that was in garden, Olav came out with kakao to them when it was winter❤ It was supposedly not uncommon for him to do that 🙂
@@Armoure10 All our kings have loved their soldiers, even King Harald and I am sure it disapointed him quite abit when the former Primeminister Stoltenberg tried to steal the medalioncermony that used to be the kings privilege. Soldiers revolted and they had to give that back to the king....
@@magnusalexander2965 It was more than once.. He was often observed taking the tram.. but it was in 1973 during the oil crisis.. And it was a stunt to get people to use it in those times.
I'm not from the states but even I know that it's a huge country with very diverse cultural variations. I'm pretty sure there are states and cities where you could do something like this and get similar reactions. Right?
It's because prime minister and president aren't these special people in nordic countries. I don't know how it's in Norway but in Finland you can see president or prime minister casually buying things at any store. Of course president has security there too but they're in civilian clothes. But it does look like Norway is very similar to Finland in that these "celebrities" are treated as normal people. They just have very important job.
I think its like you said.. they know who it is.. but they dont WANT to believe that its actually the Norwegian Prime Minister lol in regards to the political conversations they were having.. most Europeans understand that everything being said is an OPINION rather then a "im changing your mind" like it is in the US (Prime Ministers are much like the President in the US, one they are appointed as PM.. they are driven everywhere for safety reasons)
He did not win another term in that election, but he DID become Secretary General of NATO instead, and has been in office there since October 2014. Fair to guess that he hasn't driven much after that video either. But yes, he had one of "the black cars" and a driver.
I ran into Stoltenberg out walking in Oslo while he was Prime minister, just in my own thoughts until he waved and said the equvalent of "hey man, how's it going?", and ran into our last Prime Minister and her husband on the subway a couple of weeks after she was out of office. We kind of view them as people we've hired to run our government more than "our leaders"
Talking about security around celebrities.. This was even just 2 years after the Oslo terror attack targeting his own political party. But we beef up security when needed, like when foreign leaders are visiting.
The point of democracy must be that people represent us. We should not be bowing and scraping up to them. It should be the other way around. They represent us and our democracy. We pay their salaries...
One of the differences between Norway and the US, is that you don't have to be rich to be a politician, not even to be prime minister. Campaign funding does not work the same way. The party that you belong to will fund campains, and in Norway we primarily vote for parties, not persons. The winning party (-ies) will decide who should be prime minister after the election.
Scandinavians have both royalty and politicians. USA only have politicians. The reaction to Crown Prince Frederik driving a taxi in Copenhagen would be a lot more reserved, but I think it would only take a couple of minutes before it was notched down a bit and an almost normal chat would take place.
11 месяцев назад
You should know his name, Jens . The Secretary General of NATO since 2014.
It's probably easy to recognise him cus 2 years after something tragic terror attack, and he was the leader of norway when it happened so he is a face you recognise easily, for better or worse.
Tylor. They work for us. We pay them to lead our country. Both the house of royals and our politicians. They are the servants of the Norwegian people. We know it, and they know it. We all respect each others. And we're proud of our way. Its Norway, or No Way.
Yes that’s a normal way for Norwegian to react when we see someone famous 😂
I literally front collided with a shopping cart with Mette-Marit, crown princess of Norway shopping cart when I was shopping in Geilo. And the whole incident we were talking like equals. She was very sweet and kind. She asked me if I was fine and she apologised for the incident. She even let me past her in the line at the check out ❤
They're acting like that because they don't feel inferior to him. It's one of the best things about our culture, in my opinion.
I totally agree. I am in UK but as I am in Scotland, I feel like to many MPs in Westminster think they should be treated as celebs rather than public servants.
@@artasium1sadly its starting to become the same way in Norway lately
It says a lot about the Scandivavian culture in general. People are more equal, not only in terms of opportunity and money, but also in how we relate to one anorher. Bosses and workers are not miles apart. People and politicians can relate to eachother. The difference beween rich people and "poor" people is not as big as in the US. Rich people generally don't live in HUGE mansions and poor people don't live on the streets. People are just.. People.
Norwegian here & you described our way of life perfectly, i have family members with high positions in the government but they are still just normal people who will join in on x-mas celebrations in Santa hats & so forth.😂😁
Wow! You should really take a look at the society before you wright a comment. Jeez!
@@KEAN1311 ?
Me and my father passed Stoltenberg on a crosswalk in Oslo when I was a kid, and he said to "hi" to my father + nodded + smiled, and my father said "hi" back as we passed him.
Even in Norway, times have probably changed, because I can't imagine our current prime minister (Støre) would treat citizens the same, but again that's partly because he has been unpopular since he got in - in 2021. Former PM Erna Solberg was (is?) the same as Jens Stoltenberg though. Now I realized we should seek such a qualification in a future prime minister, when next election comes next year
While I do not agree with all of Erna's policies, I do agree that as a person she seems decent.
While he was the leader of the Labour Party here, and I do not vote for them then or now, I have massive respect for this man. I do not think the labour party will have an equally great leader anytime soon. He was not just a labour party leader, he was a leader for all and it shows in this video. Like you said, regardless of political view, everyone was comfortable discussing and asking questions, because he will listen and he will give you an honest response.
Moreover, you should look for videos of how he reacted and his speech after our terrorist attack back in 2011. Even though it was his own party, their future politicians that had been targeted and killed... He still found it in him, to view it as not just a politcal targeting, but a democracy targeting. His speech was all inclusive and it was one of the most impressive speeches I heard.
He definitely outgrew the position of Norwegian Prime Minister, so when he went on tho be leader of NATO I wasn't too surprised. Solid dude. Extremely solid.
You should look up Stoltenberg these days! He’s been leading Nato since 2014. He has had a crucial role in navigating the war in Ukraine. And have been asked twice by Biden and other leaders to carry on - even though he was due to leave some years ago. Also look up Norways strong ties to USA - historicaly and today.
Who calls the shots in NATO? It's not the Norwegian secretary general Stoltenberg.
@@JoannDaviThankfully its not you. Stoltenberg carry some weight after all. You dont
@@JoannDavi Look it up!!
He is not the president in nato, its voting from all the members that decide..
@@JoannDaviyeah he is the leader of NATO .. but of course there’s probably a team that makes the decisions together with him..
Tyler: He's the Prime minister!
Norwegian: Yeah, he works for us.
My sister works in NRK which is the state owned media company in Norway. At the time she was the director of the evening news and Stoltenberg was the PM. I was waiting for her to get off work so I could drive her home and I was sitting in the waiting/staging area and Stoltenberg came in and was about to do an interview.
This was a Sunday and I was in full hiking gear since I had just came in from two nights out in woods fishing with some friends and reeked of bonfire. He made a joke about it and we spent a few minutes talking about fishing before he went on TV. The dude is just a guy, albeit better than average at smalltalk 😂
When Jens (the taxi driver) was still (just) the Norwegian minister of finance, he used to bike to work and back. Now as the secretary general of NATO, I believe that would be out of the question. Too dangerous.
Yes, because of international politics and foreign agents being a possible threat, he now has to have constant security around him
People are very grounded in Norway...we don't look at politicians (or celebrities)as being better that the average citizen...as it should be in a democracy 👍🇸🇯
Well, most do, but not to the same extent as people in the US at least
Janteloven I guess
Agree with you, those ppl i goverment isn't ther for stardom, they are there for us ppl. Vote is your choose who you want to represent you.
Democrati works if you do your duty (vote) red og blue ✌️👌
The old guy in the beginning of this video, and the first to recognise him, was my step dad for 18 years 🤗 he has past away now rip. ... funny to see this again 😂
in Norway we think politicians more as commoners than celebrities with. they are almost just like us, they're people with a job providing for themselves and their families. they have a life outside of the politics as well. I went skiing with my family earlier this year and I met Jens Stoltenberg and Jonas Gahr Støre, they were on a ski trip together, and we sat down and had a nice talk.
Stoltenberg once said, as a joke: You know you are not a minister any more, when you take place in the back seat, and the car does not drive.
I think one of the unique thing about Norwegian and Scanidavian politicians are that they debate politics with passion and disagrement, but still are cordial and friendly (mostly) outside debates and the Parlament. They are for the most part polite and some freindly towords each other. Not naming names etc.
It is important to remember that Norway is a safe country, among other things because the ration between politicians and population is rather high, and the use of safety staff around our politicians is minimal. Usually the party leaders have body guards, from the police, but they do often travel without them when they are not on a pre-planned place. And if you spend time in the city center around the parliament building and the government building you will see the top brass.
It was not uncommon during Jens time in office to see him or his cabinet walk from their meeting with the King every Friday, during summer, and it is quite well know that he was often to be found running around on of the lakes in the forest, with or without his bodyguards.
I am reminded of a situation back in 1999, when then President Bill Clinton was on a short stay in Oslo, and he did get a desire for a coffee and got his limo to stop just outside a coffee-bar downtown and just walk in to get a coffee, it was not planned and the shop had not been vetted before, but as fare as I understand Secret Service did just think that the risk would be pretty much zero that anything would happen. President Clinton did if I remember right comment on it to the journalist at the time that it was a nice change to just be able to do that. To just find a coffee-bar and go in to order. The staff was a bit surprised off cause, but they did their jobs.
I do think it does tell a bit about how we still are, stoics and we do believe that we are pretty much the same every last one of us, yeah we have a King, and a crown prince, they seem like nice guys, it they did not seem to be, I would have expected that Norway would have been a Republic with in months. But as one of our late comedian and everyday philosophers did put it. Norwegians love our king, as long has he do not think him self anything grand.
They Are freeking out! 😂😂 yes, Tyler, it is a Norwegian thing! 😇 To me, a Norwegian, this is a strong reaction. 🥰
Norway must be safer than most places, but Bill Clinton was known to break his healthy diet and randomly rush into cafes to get fattening food. Once, while he was jogging to lose weight in Washington, D.C., he lost his willpower and jogged into a McDonald's restaurant to eat a lot of fattening food. He's also a pathological liar, so he lied about it and claimed that he was there to meet the American people. "Saturday Night Live" mocked him in a comedy skit about it. In the skit, customers asked political questions, and Bill Clinton took the customers' fattening food out of their hands and ate it, pretending that he was using it to demonstrate political ideas.
@@Mary_Thompson Thanks for that information. Good to be corrected. Good to know.
How could the Secret Service let him jog anywhere near a fast food restaurant?
@@Noomi-v8j I do agree, they are pretty much freaking out. It is for Scandinavians strong reaction. But I can understand why it doesn't seem so to Americans. Since they are calm and collected. We do not scream, we do not yell, but the reaction is strong here that is true.
This video must have been recorded much more then 2 years after July 22. So it my also explain why people reacts like they did, "More openness, more democracy" In deed.
I don’t even vote the Labour Party, but I want him back for Prime Minister.
I was late for a conference at a hotel in Oslo, had my head barried in my phone to get directions and just saw this guy in my peripheral vision that I almost walked into. When I looked up, it was Jens Stoltenberg, then prime minister, standing there. Don't know the year, but didn't see any security around him, so it was probably before the 22nd of July attacks in 2011.
A colleague of mine sat beside him on an airplane to Svalbard. He was a bit starstruck, but finally decided to talk to him, and they had a casual discussion about hunting and wildlife while eating Vestlandslefse.
I've since got into politics myself, and now I'm on the municipal council. When I just started with politics, the minister of culture came on a visit, and I took some pictures on my phone. She asked me if I could send them to her, and gave me her personal phone number, which I don't think is very common in other countries.
"So you agree with me?" -Stoltenberg- No,SV agrees with you 😂
Trying to imagine this with Rishi Sunak. Can you imagine the abuse? "Oi, Rishi, when you calling an election then." "When you sending the marbles back to Greece then." "Yeah, can you take me to where the Brexit benefits are please." "I just tested positive for Covid, nearest old folks home please. Hear you lot think that's appropriate." "So is Liz Truss really as mental as she comes across or is she just pretending."
We dont get much Starstruck over Norwegian celebs,, they walk the streets in peace 99% of the time
He just a human beeing as the rest of us ❤😂
He is not, he is a coward. Globalist to the core🤮
He is just a down to earth guy. He said in an interview once that he used to smoke weed when he was younger. One time, my friends and I was sitting in a park in oslo sharing a "cigarette" when Jens Stoltenberg walked past us, he could clearly see the joint and smell it but he just waved, said hello, smiled and walked away
The only thing more down to earth that I know of is the Dutch king working as a commercial airline pilot.
He does? Thats awesome. He flies regularly?
The reaction is normal for Scandinavia. This reminds of that woman that was shopping at the Cph market and next to her was our queen shopoing for tomatos and so on. She just said... Nej da..er de her.? No are you actually here.? She used the formal you but thats again a European thing I think. 😊
So no, we don't go overboard, we just go.. Ha! that's funny wait till i tell my kids or whatever.
As an American, you should know Jens Stoltenberg, as he is currently the leader of NATO in the role of Secretary General.
His father was altso a very well known figure.He used to invite all kinds of people,forein leaders,diplomats,and people from the streets.He served simple sandwiches.
Everyone knows Jens Stoltenberg. As a leader of the Labour party and prime minister he was a target during 22 of july attacks on the government and Utøya 2011.
In Finland everyone probably knows Jens Stoltenberg as the secretary general of NATO since 2014. He is a very familiar face on tv news.
No one knows who this fool of a tool is! Dust
I can tell you that it sort of is a Norwegian thing, their reactions. But in a very good way mostly, because he is very doen to earth, and a pretty normal guy. Norway is a small country, and politicians dont are not superstars like that:)
I think that after the tragedy at Utøya Jens became a familiar face to all scandinavians. I am from sweden and he feels safe to me somehow. Famous yes, but safe and familiar in a way that not many politicians do.
He handled that tragedy in an exceptional way.
I’m a Norwegian and when I have met celebreties on the streets I have pretended I didn’t know who they are🙈 Both because of shyness and because I will let them be normal people. But if I sat in a taxi with Jens Stoltenberg I would probebly laugh too and have a conversation. It’s so waird to me that their reactions are weird to you😂😂
That weird thing where you scream upon seeing a celebrity ain't exactly that common in Sweden, maybe amongst 14 year old girls. Sure you get surprised and so when you see some star but yeah, they are humans too. Nothing to get too excited over. :D
Their reaction is 100% a norwegian thing. And generally, celebrities love coming to norway, because we often leave them alone and are generally very calm around them.
In Scandinavia, politicians live close to average Joe lives. The former prime minister of Sweden used to be a welder who rose to power through his workers Union. He’s an average Norwegian. I ran into the defence minister of Norway, driving an electric scooter on her way to a tv interview. She casually said “Hi” when she passed me. Had a lot of encounters like this with both Norwegian and Swedish politicians and the royal families of both countries.
The politicians work FOR us the people.
Haha good one, watched the news the last 8 years? Corrupt shits all of them.
Yeah, this video shows how close to the people our politics actually is.
This is some of the core of our democraci. We are all partisipants to what is politics. This is what education do with the population.
That was fun. I met with Stoltenberg once when I was in high school back in 1989. He was a very polite and pleasant young man. I like the work he's doing at NATO.
The fun fact is, he opposed the Norwegian NATO membership, in his youth. Then he ended up as the Nato Secretary General. A position he still holds. - Some years ago he had a summer vacation home, just next to my brother. And one time my mother stayed for a visit there. Then Stoltenberg just walked by on the lawn. My mother would like to say hello, and introduce herself, and said: I can’t pretend to say I don’t know who you are. But I just wanted say hello. - He replied, but I know who you’re too, . You’re the mother of, …so my brothers name. She was a bit flattered. He’s very nice, and down to earth guy.
This is SO Nordic! I am Icelandic, and when I have encountered our presidents/prime ministers etc. (I actually HAVE, we are a small nation) we are ALWAYS on a first name basis! Our previous president, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, was born and raised in the same community as I was, Ísafjörður, an the times I have met him (more than once), he is simply addressed by his first name, Ólafur or Óli. It is what he IS as an individual, and even if he is a bit special (an university degree in Political Science), a controversial political career and, finally, our most notable former president, he is still "Óli rakarans", i.e. Óli, the son of the local barber that went on to do meaningful and important things.
Interesting! Is "rakarans" a charachter from a tale?
@@Olarvae Barber is rakari in Icelandic. Anything belonging to the barber (son, car, whatever) is "rakarans".
There's a reason a lot of international famous people come to Norway to relax because we mostly leave them alone.
I remember when i was a kid i saw the king and queen holding a speach at an event. When i was on my way home they drove by me and when i waved at them the car slowed down and they opened the window and waved back to me. That was a great moment for a kid.
You should watch Ylvis' "radio taxi" pranks. They basically prank people in the taxi by singing songs about them over the radio and see how long it takes until they realize. They're really famous comedians in norway, and they're also the same guys who sang "What does the fox say?" back in 2013
You should check out the humor sketch about "not enjoying skiing" from norway. It features erna solberg, our previous prime minister, basically ordering the torture of a guy for mot liking skiing. And she plays herself
As the largest country in NATO, the US, you should know Stoltenberg. He has been, and still is, NATO Secretary General. And has been for close to 10 years.
A very good Secretary General.
Yes, hes so good they wont let him leave.
The ones that needs to know, knows + 100000 of others
It's important to remember that the government works for the people, not the other way around. I got a feeling our politicians still remember this, that's why our trust to them is quite high. Stoltenberg is a good guy, and he's priceless as NATO Secretary atm. It's also important to remember politicians are humans as well. If you meet a politician on the street, you meet him as a fellow human. Most people have the decency to not start a political argument at that time but treat them as fellow humans. This was a great video.
We are very down to earth in Norway.
there's a show going on now in Norway, "Jaget" (translates to Hunted) where 8 celebrities are on the run from detectives, and our Princess is one of the contestants. out in public, no "secret service" type of thing going on
This is actually his best moan. But there are several famous people who use both bus and train to work, just like ordinary people. For example, King Olav took the tram up to Frognersetern by Holmenkollen to go skiing. And when skiing is mentioned, both Stoltenberg and Støre (Today's Minister) went on ski trips together before Stoltenberg joined NATO!
Politicians in America have more/bigger duties; America has a very diverse population of 340 million people and global responsibilities..
Norway's politicians & royal family -- 5 million people.
by the way you react i can't imagine how messed up the american political system is
In Norway, the principle of «equality» is high valued❤
Yes, this is a Norwegian phenomenon. When we see celebrities walking around in the city, they usually don't get disturbed by others, even if they are well liked/ popular. I think people want to give them their space and freedom to enjoy their day.
I met him once down town, he's easy to talk to
Totally normal Scandinavian reactions. I’m from Sweden.
We just use his firstname, Jens!
Our "celebreties" are just normal people afterall, and that is a normal in the Nordic countries.
I love that view on celebreties and politicans😊
Exactey.
People pass out and scream waiting for Kaizers Orchestra etc. Politicians are just not considered celebreties in the same way and expected to be more grounded.
@@Atlas_Redux t
it's always someone. 👋😁🇧🇻
I was once seated vis a vis Ingvar Ambjørnsen on the train. I wanted to be an author back then, so I really wanted to speak to him, because he was my number one superstar, but he was reading a newspaper so I left him alone. Isn't that how it should be?
Jens Stoltenberg became NATO Secretary General in October 2014. As a former Prime Minister of Norway and UN Special Envoy, Mr Stoltenberg has a distinguished record of domestic and international achievements spanning security, defence, climate, energy, and economics. He is a strong supporter of greater global and transatlantic cooperation. NATO Allies have extended Mr Stoltenberg’s term by unanimous consent four times, and his term will end on 1 October 2024.
Part of the reason for the reactions is that we see him as a normal human being. (As he really is.) Is that he is part of the people, part of Norway, and thus our equal as a human being.
Norway is the people inside this country, and without us, togetherness and love we are nothing.
Also without us, politicians wouldn't have a country to rule, so they need us, and treat us accordingly too. It's a two-way street of respect.
Yes celebrities will always be celebrities.
But in Norway we all try and treat each other equally.
No one should be treated better or worse based on what they have or don't have.
Because in the end we are all human, and deserving of love, respect and care.
Of course, I also think that those who were in the car also talked and laughed about this with friends and family for years afterwards.
Because after all, not many people can say they were driven by the minister. 🤩
In many ways king Olav set the standard using the tram during the oil crises in the seventeeths.
Norwegians are more down to Earth and relaxed and quiet ( don't shout that much ) with a more low key humour.
I guess they just recognise him via his reflection in the rear view mirror 😉
Not just the former prime minister of Norway, but these days the secretary general of NATO!
I recommended watchin YLVIS following Erna Solberg eng subs:)
You will get a similar impression of the Norwegian peoples relationship with their leaders with a different prime minister.
The old guy at the beginning is not saying "when I see you from behind", he is saying "when I see you from the side" -
He is present the leader of NATO 😉
If I got into a cab(blindfolded) & Donald J Chump was driving I recognize him immediately by the STENCH...
Regarding starstruck.. It matters that the distance "up" isn't that far. We're only 5.5 million people.
For example, an alumni and former class mate of mine is a leader of the local Labour party which means he knows a former mayor here who is now a Minister in the Cabinet. Being a Minister that guy is in the weekly Cabinet meeting with the King and the other Ministers.. So I am two people away from the King and the entire Cabinet, even though I'm a nobody on disability. This is not to brag, just to showcase what living in a small nation sometimes mean. Meeting our own celebrities simply isn't that improbable. (But that technically means I'm three people away from all the heads of state they've met. When you think of the world in terms of relations it gets a bit smaller.)
By happenstance I've been in the close proximity of two Kings, several ministers, and multiple TV-personalities (riding close to them in the same train or plane f.x.) simply because we are a small nation.
I did meet Stoltenberg once though. He has this ability to make you feel like right then and there he has noticed you, even if it is just for a few seconds.
I met him on the island. last summer very nice man. he is without a doubt the most popular politician in Norway in the time of the murderers.
It´s a skandinavien thing 🤷♂
Celebreties are people too.. As you know we respect everyones personal space.. A couple of years ago a world famous rock band played a concert in Bergen Norway (I Believe it was The roling stones), and later in the evening the Band menber sat down in a pub enjoying a beer. and he sat there as a normal person having an conversation wiith the person next to him.. We seldom get starstruck.
its a very norwegian thing, we dont react much to 'celebs' and 'politicians' here, as you can see them by chance every now and then, like a friend of mine passed by Erna Solberg on the streets walking back from a party around 11pm.
They seem very 'down to earth' for us besides their job.
I never called any of my bosses by their last name... Always call them by their first name, coz this is how it is here... And the bosses know what the problem is, coz they speak with all in the company and not just the in between leaders...
If I ever had meet Jens Stoltenberg on the street I would have said, "Hei Jens, nice to meet you!".
Under a petrol strike in the 70's the king of Norway, King Olav V (5th), took the tram like everybody else. He was once asked by foreign press if he wasn't afraid somebody would harm him on the tram trip, but he just looked at the person and said, coz it was true, "I have four million body guards", the whole people of Norway. When he died EVERY store had a picture of him with a black ribbon. The king was dead, long live the king. His son, Harald V is our king now and we love him too..
This is fantastic! There reaction dosnt seem so much. Think how the American reactions feel to us because in my eyes they were starstrucked xD
It is a Norwegian thing for sure, we are calm people. We can be starstruck but we don't go off the wall. I think this was done for a tv show a short time befre the election, so it was not something he usually did as a Prime Minister. But I think this says a lot about Norway, you can be famous and still walk around in the country without tons of bodyguards keeping you away from the normal people. As a Prime Minister you have a security detail and a driver. He once said in a tv show that if he got in the back of a car and it didn't start to drive shortly after, then he probably wasn't Prime Minister any more :-)
You can be sure these guys have been screened... the primeminister do have security around him, but yes they do let people come close ofcourse. There was these comedians who did a show on Erna, following her around playing a instrument and singing what she was doing ...
We do this with the king too! :D
All the northern countries have the same down to earth approach🤗
Someone told me they prank called the castle and asked "Hey, is Harald there?" ..Don't know if he answered though. He might have.
I find this video really funny becouse im a member of the Norwegian labor party, and i heard from some higher ups (i believe it was the current party secretary) that Jens is actually really bad at driving😆
I am from germany and we are not that close to our politicians. The former foreign minister Joschka Fischer was driving taxi once before becoming a politician.
And i had a personal meeting with our current president once. I was working on an oil field in Libya and suddenly the chancellery minister and coordinator of secret services showed up with two men in black to prepare a visit of the chancellor Schröder app 20 years ago. In the evening after work i went to the coffee room and there the minister was sitting alone and i asked him some questions, he did too. He seemed just like a normal dude. I disappeared soon because i have the tendency not to stop talking once i started and he seemed to have looked for a silent place to have some time for himself. Some weeks later the chancellor arrived in the desert with a plane from the Bundeswehr some journalists and tv crew and was officially opening a new oil well plus some interview with some oil tanks in the background. I was just working and saw them driving past my building. I dont think there were more than 3 security guys with him. They prepared us company men before to drive in a column without space between the cars so no other vehicle would be able to squeeze in but that was it. I was not involved anyway.
He actually ended up launching his party's election campaign that year in my literal backyard (I honestly thought the flyer I got in my mail about it was a joke, because why choose my neighbourhood when he's from the opposite side of the country and had to my knowledge zero ties to the neighbourhood - turned out the party's mayor candidate lived on my street and that was why they had chosen it). Only time I have met a prime minister while they were still the acting prime minister (I have walked past Erna while she's been campaigning - but that makes more sense since she's from my city and it's been where all the parties have their campaign boots in the city center, not my literal neighbourhood, lol)
If you were in the same scenario you wouldn't be able to get in the cab because the secret service would take all the seats...
Our king Olav used to take the tram when he went on a ski trip..
Olav really set a precedence for how they should behave.
Well, he did once as a publicity stunt when there was a gas shortage and people were encouraged to use public transportation ("even the king is doing it!") and it's been kind of mythologized. Not that he wasn't an approachable king
@@magnusalexander2965olav was "the king", i have a friend that was in garden, Olav came out with kakao to them when it was winter❤
It was supposedly not uncommon for him to do that 🙂
@@Armoure10 All our kings have loved their soldiers, even King Harald and I am sure it disapointed him quite abit when the former Primeminister Stoltenberg tried to steal the medalioncermony that used to be the kings privilege. Soldiers revolted and they had to give that back to the king....
@@magnusalexander2965 It was more than once.. He was often observed taking the tram.. but it was in 1973 during the oil crisis.. And it was a stunt to get people to use it in those times.
Nice vi Video. It's very awesome that you talk so much about Norway and fascinated About our home.
❤
I'm not from the states but even I know that it's a huge country with very diverse cultural variations. I'm pretty sure there are states and cities where you could do something like this and get similar reactions. Right?
He’s the best really!!
we're just chill like that
It's because prime minister and president aren't these special people in nordic countries. I don't know how it's in Norway but in Finland you can see president or prime minister casually buying things at any store. Of course president has security there too but they're in civilian clothes.
But it does look like Norway is very similar to Finland in that these "celebrities" are treated as normal people. They just have very important job.
"IS he THAT famous?"
Dude! It's like if you got in a taxi and the POTUS was driving the car!
Yes, he's THAT famous.
America has forgotten that politicians are "just" public servants
I think its like you said.. they know who it is.. but they dont WANT to believe that its actually the Norwegian Prime Minister lol in regards to the political conversations they were having.. most Europeans understand that everything being said is an OPINION rather then a "im changing your mind" like it is in the US (Prime Ministers are much like the President in the US, one they are appointed as PM.. they are driven everywhere for safety reasons)
He did not win another term in that election, but he DID become Secretary General of NATO instead, and has been in office there since October 2014. Fair to guess that he hasn't driven much after that video either.
But yes, he had one of "the black cars" and a driver.
The US president and former presidents have drivinlicences but cannot drive. Its a safetyissue, Secret Service does all the driving.
You need to see Petter Solberg undercover the video is named nightmare on a parking lot.
I ran into Stoltenberg out walking in Oslo while he was Prime minister, just in my own thoughts until he waved and said the equvalent of "hey man, how's it going?", and ran into our last Prime Minister and her husband on the subway a couple of weeks after she was out of office. We kind of view them as people we've hired to run our government more than "our leaders"
Talking about security around celebrities.. This was even just 2 years after the Oslo terror attack targeting his own political party. But we beef up security when needed, like when foreign leaders are visiting.
The point of democracy must be that people represent us. We should not be bowing and scraping up to them. It should be the other way around. They represent us and our democracy. We pay their salaries...
One of the differences between Norway and the US, is that you don't have to be rich to be a politician, not even to be prime minister. Campaign funding does not work the same way. The party that you belong to will fund campains, and in Norway we primarily vote for parties, not persons. The winning party (-ies) will decide who should be prime minister after the election.
Scandinavians have both royalty and politicians. USA only have politicians. The reaction to Crown Prince Frederik driving a taxi in Copenhagen would be a lot more reserved, but I think it would only take a couple of minutes before it was notched down a bit and an almost normal chat would take place.
You should know his name, Jens .
The Secretary General of NATO since 2014.
It's probably easy to recognise him cus 2 years after something tragic terror attack, and he was the leader of norway when it happened so he is a face you recognise easily, for better or worse.
Tylor. They work for us. We pay them to lead our country. Both the house of royals and our politicians. They are the servants of the Norwegian people. We know it, and they know it. We all respect each others. And we're proud of our way. Its Norway, or No Way.