Norwegian Prime Minister drives a taxi

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Published on Aug 12, 2013

Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg released a humorous campaign video of himself going undercover as a taxi driver, ahead of elections in September 2013.

 

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I had that Norwegian Prime Minister in the front of my cab . . . Scandinavian leader works secretly as taxi driver but is mocked by passengers for his poor driving

• Jens Stoltenberg dressed in taxi driver uniform for the stunt in Oslo
  
• Said going incognito was good way to hear real opinions of voters
  
• Country is going to the polls next month and Stoltenberg seeking reelection
  

By BECKY EVANS PUBLISHED: 09:41 GMT, 12 August 2013 | UPDATED: 10:03 GMT, 12 August 2013

Norway's prime minister worked secretly as a taxi driver in central Oslo for a day in June. Jens Stoltenberg dressed in a taxi driver uniform and sunglasses as he drove passengers around the streets of the Norwegian capital for several hours. The prime minister only confirmed his identity when passengers realised who he was.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg worked secretly as a cab driver to listen to voter's views

Stoltenberg wore a taxi driver's uniform and sunglasses as he tried to go incognito for the election stunt

He said he wanted to hear what Norwegian's really felt about their politicians and what they wanted for their country. The stunt was dreamed up by an advertising agency as part of Stoltenberg's campaign for re-election, was filmed on hidden cameras.

A video of the event was published yesterday by daily newspaper VG and on the PM's Facebook page.Stoltenberg told the newspaper he had wanted to hear people's honest views on politics.'If there is one place where people say what they really mean about most things, it is in a taxi. Right from the gut,' he told VG.Many berated Stoltenberg, who has led the Nordic country for the past eight years, for his poor driving.

Most conversations became political when the passengers realised who was driving while others berated him for his skills behind the wheel

The prime minister admitted that he is more used to sitting in the back seat of a chauffeured car than driving

At one point the car jolts abruptly when the politician thinks he is pressing the clutch but hits the automatic vehicle's brake and he confessed that he is more used to sitting in the back of his chauffeured car. One passenger told him: 'I am not really happy about the driving' and another said: 'I guess I will live'. Another passenger took his criticism to another level and bluntly said: 'Your driving is really bad.'
Most passengers realised quickly who their driver was. One told him: 'From this angle you really look like Stoltenberg', while another said: 'Have you quit as prime minister?'The prime minister's passengers were shocked, bemused and curious before their discussions inevitably turned to politics.

Stoltenberg (left), pictured with Angela Merkel and David Cameron, is seeking reelection in September

Stoltenberg said he did not think he could be a taxi driver full time. He told Norwegian media: 'I think the nation and Norwegian taxi passengers are best served if I am the prime minister and not a taxi driver.'Some passengers were picked up after hailing the prime minister's cab while others were told that they would be picked up but not who would be driving, Labour Party spokeswoman said.

None of the passengers were charged for the fare. Norway is hosting elections on September 9 and Stoltenberg's Labour party is trailing in the polls against the Conservatives. Stoltenberg was prime minister for just one year until 2001 before being elected again in 2005. He started work as a journalist and was also the leader of the Workers' Youth League until becoming a politician in the early 1990s.

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