– First of all, I have to say that I am incredibly privileged. This will be four years of political science, says Norway’s youngest mayor, Håvard Handeland. After negotiations between the Labor Party, the Center Party and the Conservative Party, it ended with 19-year-old Handeland becoming the new mayor of Sauda municipality in Rogaland. The Conservative Party and the Labor Party will cooperate on power in Sauda for the next four years. With him on the team, Handeland gets lecturer Paul Løyning (H) as deputy mayor. A man Handeland knows from before. – He was actually a social studies teacher for me when he was in practice. He gave me 5 plus on an assignment I had, says Handeland. Paul Løyning (left) is Håvard Handeland’s old teacher. Now he will be deputy mayor in the municipality. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news Nominated with appendicitis But the fact that the 19-year-old will now lead a municipality with 4,500 inhabitants is a coincidence. As recently as February this year, the Sauda Labor Party had major challenges in getting enough people to submit a list before the election. Then the then 18-year-old school student Håvard Handeland contacted the nomination committee and made himself available. Handeland has been a member of the party for several years, and has distinguished himself as a committed young man. A couple of days before the nomination meeting, according to the local newspaper Ryfylke, he was asked if he was the party’s list top and mayoral candidate. He agreed to that. But he was never allowed to attend the nomination meeting, because he ended up in hospital with appendicitis. – I was in intensive care when the nomination committee adopted the list. So I was in a way not sane when I said yes, he says, grinning. – But you don’t regret it? – No, not at all, he says. Håvard Handeland during the election vigil in Sauda. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news Will continue in the job The 19-year-old is like most young people. He had a part-time job at Esso in Sauda, which he has now resigned. He also has a temporary position in the municipality at the unit for organized services. He hopes to be able to continue there. At least a little. – I feel incredibly comfortable here, and it’s a place where I can disconnect. I hope to be able to take a few shifts in between, says the 19-year-old. And now he will be the youngest mayor ever. A record that until now has been held by Sokndal mayor Jonas Andersen Sayed (KrF). A person who has previously been a mentor for Handeland when he sat on the youth county council. – Not all 19-year-olds will become mayors Andersen Sayed says it is very stylish that the 19-year-old in Sauda now breaks the record and becomes the new mayor in Sauda. – It is a great privilege to be mayor and work for the development of the municipality. There have been young mayors before, but I got a lot of attention about my age when I started. I have received good feedback from the people, after making the best choice ever for KrF in Sokndal, he says. He believes that age should not have much to do with whether you can hold important positions in society. – Not all 19-year-olds will become mayors. But not all 50-year-olds will become mayors either, says Andersen Sayed. Sokndal mayor Jonas Andersen Sayed (KrF) Photo: Ole Andreas Bø / news October 4 is the constituent municipal council meeting in Sauda. Then the 19-year-old’s work begins. – There is crazy pressure. In a way, you always have to perform, but you also have to prove that you are not too irresponsible or too young, he says. Prepared for rubbish comments Now he hopes to show other young people that it is useful to get involved. – You have to be on your toes and take the opportunities you get. There is also an arena for young people, he says. He has received enormous amounts of congratulations and messages after it was announced that he will be the new mayor of the municipality. Sauda is known, among other things, for metal processing through the smelter. Photo: Thomas Halleland / news But also the occasional rubbish comment. He is not surprised by that. – I guess I was actually waiting for it. But such messages remain. Fortunately, I have with me former Storting representative Torfinn Opheim and a cognitive therapist in second place on the list, he says. Handeland explains that two of the big issues he wants to tackle are industry and how to deal with the wave of elderly people in the municipality. Today, Asbjørn Birkeland (Sp) is the mayor of the municipality. SP was also the largest party after the election this year, but fell back by 24.9 percentage points since the last election. Birkeland has been mayor of the municipality for eight years. Before that, Sauda was a Labor Party municipality.
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Håvard Handeland becomes the youngest ever mayor in Norway – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
