Conservative leader Erna Solberg has arrived. – I hope I get good questions, she says about her expectations for the hearing. At 08.35 Solberg started to explain himself about the competence case. – If I had known about this trade, I would therefore have declared myself disqualified in a number of cases. At the same time, it is also clear that this activity would not have continued if it had become known to me, she says. Solberg also gave an explanation as to why she believes it is difficult to determine exactly how many cases she has been disqualified in. – Many of the cases that must be assessed are general and not individual decisions. It will typically be about changes in laws or regulations that affect many people, says. Solberg nevertheless apologizes for what has happened. – I am very sorry that I have dealt with cases as Prime Minister where I have been incompetent, she says. – This case contributes to weakening this trust. It is therefore serious that, even though I was not aware of this at the time, I have participated in the processing of cases while I have been disqualified, she continues. – When it subsequently turns out that Finnes has nevertheless conducted extensive trade in secret, it is clear to me that I should have asked and dug more about this, she says. When Solberg had finished his own introductory explanation, the questioning began. Must answer questions Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg must answer both about her own integrity case and about the rules when she was prime minister – when the Storting holds a control hearing for almost 12 hours today. – The purpose is to get an answer to why on earth could things go so wrong? Why have the various ministers and a former prime minister broken the rules of competence? This is what case mayor Grunde Almeland (V) says to news. HEARING: Prosecutor Grunde Almeland (V) will ask questions to former Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) and five other of Norway’s most prominent politicians. Photo: NTB – Both Erna Solberg and the now resigned ministers risk facing various degrees of criticism from the control committee, but the most important thing the committee must do is to ensure that Norwegian politics does not end up in these matters once again, says Almeland. This is how the open hearing is being held today Part 1 – About the breaches of integrity by individual members of various governments 08.35 – 09.45: Former Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H). 10.15 – 11.25: Former Minister of Culture and Equality Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap). 12.00 – 13.10: Former Research and Higher Education Minister Ola Borten Moe (Sp) 13.20 – 14.30: Former Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Ap). 16.00 – 17.10: Minister for Employment and Inclusion and former Minister for Knowledge Tonje Brenna (Ap). Part 2 – About the government’s handling of the competence regulations 17.25 – 18.35: Former Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H). 18.50 – 20.00: Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap). * The hearing will be streamed on the Storting’s online TV. (NTB) The hearing starts on Tuesday at 8.30 and does not finish until 8pm tonight. It is the three resigned ministers, Anniken Huitfeldt (Ap), Ola Borten Moe (Sp) and Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap), as well as Labor Minister Tonje Brenna (Ap), who will answer. Their boss – Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) – must also appear at the marathon hearing in the Storting’s Control and Constitution Committee on Tuesday. In addition, former Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) comes twice when the committee holds an open hearing on the integrity cases that have shaken the political system this year. MUST ANSWER: Tonje Brenna, Anniken Huitfeldt, Ola Borten Moe and Anette Trettebergstuen. Photo: Terje Pedersen/Joakim Halvorsen/Stian Lysberg Solum – In the beginning, there were clear rules for competence, but when a number of ministers have failed to follow very basic rules, one must question whether routines and practices have been good enough, says Almeland to NTB. – Haven’t understood the regulations Benedikte Moltumyr Høgberg, law professor at the University of Oslo, believes that this may indicate that the politicians do not know the rules. – At least not all of them. We have seen all these reply letters that some of the former ministers have sent to the control committee. And in any case, Borten Moe now says that he would have acknowledged that he was incompetent, but he did not understand that on 21 July, says the law professor to news. Benedikte Moltumyr Høgberg is professor of law at the Department of Public Law at the Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo. Photo: University of Oslo 21 July was the date the then Minister of Research and Higher Education resigned as a result of the competence case. – It may indicate that he has not fully understood the regulations. And similarly with Anniken Huitfeldt who established so-called watertight bulkheads for her husband. You can’t do that to change the rules of competence either, says Moltumyr Høgberg. The law professor believes that the reason for all the cases right now may be that the media have followed better after the first case was revealed. The concern is therefore that we have had such cases in the past. – It says something about the fact that the politicians primarily relate to trust in the voters and not as much to the rules that apply to public administration in general, says the law professor. Double up for Solberg – The hearing will be important for the future, not just for me but for where you set the threshold for competence, what you should emphasize. This also concerns which regulations future representatives, whether in government or others, will have to deal with, says Erna Solberg to NTB. The hearing in the Storting is not about illegality or legality, but about trust in the politicians and about how the provisions on competence in the Storting and for members of the government have been practiced and complied with. The committee must control the current government at any given time. It is therefore limited what concrete consequences the hearing will have for Solberg. – For Solberg’s part, as a former prime minister, the Storting does not have the same opportunity to possibly adopt criticism or promote distrust, as we have towards sitting members of the government. But in our opinion, the committee will be able to direct specific criticism against also resigned members of the government, if we see that it is appropriate, says Almeland. SV: – Very serious On Friday, Erna Solberg could breathe a sigh of relief that neither she nor her husband will be investigated for insider trading. But on Tuesday, she has to answer for competence. In any case, the matter is “very serious”, believes committee member Audun Lysbakken (SV). – Erna Solberg has been incompetent in several important decisions as Prime Minister. The hearing on Tuesday is primarily to deepen and clarify what has already come to light, he tells NTB. Erna Solberg does not want to divorce Sindre Finnes for his share dealings. Although the committee has limited sanctions against Solberg, he believes the hearing is an important part of the work to “restore a culture of political responsibility”. – It is important to understand that political responsibility is something other than personal guilt. What we will look at in more detail in the hearing is Erna Solberg’s political responsibility. Not her fault or judgement, he emphasizes. The committee allocates 1 hour and 10 minutes to each of the six politicians. They first get ten minutes to present their case before the committee members are allowed to ask questions. Solberg has to set aside twice as much, since she has two topics to explain about. Commentators and politicians discuss today’s hearing. Photo: ISMAIL BURAK AKKAN / news
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I was incompetent in a number of cases – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
