Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Ap) tells VG that she has not fulfilled her duty as a minister: Her husband has traded shares on Oslo Børs – among other things in the arms manufacturer Kongsberg Gruppen – while she has been foreign minister. – I have not fulfilled my duty according to the rules of competence to obtain an overview of my husband’s financial activities. There is reason to believe that I have been incompetent in several of the cases, says Huitfeldt to VG. Støre still has confidence – the Minister for Foreign Affairs has made mistakes related to integrity. The husband’s purchase and sale of shares has meant that Anniken has been incompetent in matters in the government and her own ministry, without being aware of it herself. She should have obtained an overview of the man’s buying and selling of shares, so that she could assess her competence. It is serious because integrity is about trust, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to news. Anniken Huitfeldt and her husband Ola Flem. Photo: Naina Helen Jåma / NTB Støre adds that Huitfeldt himself took the initiative to survey and clean up in early August. – She has assured that, from taking office in October 2021, she has placed great emphasis on following the guidelines and acting carefully. She has said that she did not know how many or which shares her husband had. She says that her husband has not told her about the share deals since she took office, says Støre and adds: – I believe what Anniken says, says Støre, and emphasizes that he has confidence in Huitfeldt based on the information that has come to light. Anniken Huitfeldt Born 29 November 1969 Norway’s Minister for Foreign Affairs since 14 October 2021. Minister for Children and Equality from February 2008 to October 2009, Minister for Culture from 2009-2012, Minister for Labor from 2012 to 2013. Has sat in the Storting for the Labor Party in Akershus since 2005. Sat in the Labor Party’s central board from 2002, in 2023 Huitfeldt announced that she would not stand for re-election. Involved in school politics with an office since 1986, AUF leader from 1996 to 2000. Has a major in history and an undergraduate degree in political science and geography from the University of Oslo and the London School of Economics, professional background as a researcher at Fafo 2000–2005. Source: Stortinget, NTB – Wants Huitfeldt to attend the hearing Peter Frølich, head of the Storting’s control and constitutional committee, has also been informed of the breaches of competence. He says that Huitfeldt himself called him earlier today, and describes it as an orderly conversation. Head of the Storting’s Control and Constitution Committee, Peter Frølich. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news – These new breaches of integrity are serious, and come in a series of previous serious breaches of integrity. The control committee already has a lot on the table with the cases related to Borten Moe, Brenna and Trettebergstuen. From the Conservative Party’s side, it is nevertheless quite clear that the Storting’s control case must now be expanded, he says. Integrity cases in the control committee Head of the control and constitution committee at the Storting, Peter Frølich, right-winger, says the case of Anniken Huitfeldt is serious, and that it will be natural for them to look into it. A unanimous control committee decided a month ago to open a control case against the government’s handling of competence issues. The investigation comes as a consequence of the cases where first Minister of Knowledge Tonje Brenna (Ap), and then Minister of Culture Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap) and finally Minister of Research and Higher Education Ola Borten Moe (Sp) admitted a breach of the rules for impartiality in the government. Trettebergstuen and Borten Moe resigned from their jobs as ministers, but Brenna has remained in office with the support of Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap). The Labor Party’s three representatives on the committee also agreed to the investigation. The Control and Constitution Committee is the only committee in the Storting that can deal with matters on its own initiative. The decision to start a separate investigation can be made by a third of the committee’s members, which means that a minimum of four of the committee’s members must support a proposal to initiate an investigation. Furthermore, he says that this disclosure has come about because the control committee started a full review of the government’s handling of the integrity rules. – It shows that it was a necessary and correct decision. In addition, Frølich states that the Conservative Party will take the initiative to have Huitfeldt attend the upcoming hearing in the control committee. – Becomes more serious The prosecutor for this case in the control and constitutional committee, Grunde Almeland (V), believes this is a clear breach of the regulations for the government, based on what Huitfeldt himself says. Grunde Almeland, member of the control and constitution committee. Photo: William Jobling / news – It is quite clear that with each individual case that comes up, it becomes more serious. Almeland believes that this case goes directly into the ongoing case in the control committee, where it will be looked at precisely how the government has practiced the competence regulations and how the government apparatus works with competence. – There are several reasons why the committee looks at these matters. One of them is that we need to do considerable work to restore trust in the politicians, who are severely damaged. Constantly new cases do not create new trust, he says. Announces press conference this afternoon Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap) and Ola Borten Moe (Sp) have previously had to resign due to integrity issues. Tonje Brenna (Ap) has also admitted mistakes, but still sits as Minister of Knowledge. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that Huitfeldt will provide information on the matter at a press conference at 2 p.m. During the summer, two ministers have resigned and one has remained in office, following questions of integrity.
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Huitfeldt admits breach of integrity – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
