Jagland served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1996 to 1997, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2000 to 2001, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Storting from 2001 to 2005 and President of the Storting from 2005 to 2009. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Jagland served as Party Secretary of the Norwegian Labour Party from 1986 to 1992, and subsequently Party Leader until 2002, when he was succeeded by Jens Stoltenberg. He was Member of the Storting from 1993 to 2009, but did not run for re-election.