Eskil Pedersen

Eskil Pedersen
Eskil Pedersen in 2011
Leader of the Norwegian Workers' Youth League
In office 2010–2014
Preceded by	Martin Henriksen
Succeeded by	Mani Hussaini
Personal details
Born	(1984-03-06) 6 March 1984 (age 32) Skien, Norway
Political party	Labour Party

Eskil Pedersen (born 6 March 1984 in Skien) is a Norwegian politician and former leader of the Workers' Youth League (AUF) from 2010 to 2014, the youth organisation associated with Norway's leading Labour Party.

On 22 July 2011 Pedersen survived the massacre on the Workers' Youth League summer camp at Utøya on 22 July 2011. Although leaders of AUF are never anonymous, his role in the aftermath as a representative for the organisation has caused a vast increase in media exposure, particularly in the months following the attacks. Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of the attacks, stated that Pedersen was one of his three primary targets.

Born in Skien in Telemark, Pedersen has studied towards a bachelor's degree in political science, and studied courses in European and American studies at the University of Oslo. He was also elected as the first openly gay leader of the Workers' Youth League.

He has previously served as the leader of AUF in Telemark (2001–2004) and Oslo (2006–2008). He was elected deputy leader of AUF from 2006 to 2010. Pedersen has previously served as a board member in the Telemark branch of No to the EU, and has served as a political advisor to AUF on election campaigns and environmental matters. He also served as deputy member of the Oslo city council and between 2007 and 2011.

Eskil Pedersen has been the leader of AUF since being elected 17 October 2010, narrowly defeating Åsmund Aukrust for the leadership. Pedersen succeeded Martin Henriksen who was later appointed senior advisor to the Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Lisbeth Berg-Hansen. Under Pedersens tenure as leader, the organization experienced a sharp upsurge in membership numbers, more than doubling in size from since 2003, and established itself as Norway's by far largest youth organization. He was reelected to a second term as leader in October 2012.