Odd Roger Enoksen (Sp) resigned as a minister in the Støre government in April 2022 after several Metoo accusations. It primarily concerns the VG revelation about Enoksen’s relationship with an 18-year-old woman, when he himself was a 50-year-old married minister, in the early 2000s. The revelation was followed by former SP politician Hilde Lengali’s warning. Recently, however, Enoksen was “taken into the heat again” in a public board position in the power company Nordkraft. It has caused reactions. The Metoo quarantine It all started in 2017. Women shared stories of abuse and sexual harassment under the hashtag #metoo. Many men in the public eye lost their positions in working life as Metoo spread. But how long does a “Metoo quarantine” last? That’s what Elin Vinje Jenssen asks in an article in Northern Norwegian debate. She is critical of the former minister gaining public trust six months after he stepped down as defense minister. It sends unfortunate signals to the women who came forward, she believes. – Enoksen has expertise in a lot of things. But there are many others in Northern Norway who could join this board, says Jenssen. Overall, Nordkraft is valued at approx. NOK 7 billion. They account for the electricity consumption of 110,000 households in the region and have 317 employees. – I think holding a public office requires more. A public office is held on behalf of the community and municipalities, and those who live there. From before, Enoksen (68) works with a newly started consultancy company in Vesterålen. He does not want to comment on his new board position at Nordkraft or the criticism that is directed at him. Former defense minister Odd Roger Enoksen (Sp) two weeks before he resigned as minister. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB – Must get a second chance Knut Andreas Nordmo (Sp) is mayor of Andøya municipality, and defends the appointment. – We have been looking for the best expertise that we need in this field, in connection with the tasks we have to solve. And then we have assessed that a former energy minister has this competence. The mayor and his party colleague believe everyone deserves a second chance. – Our conclusion is that it must be allowed to get a second chance 15 years after the incident. Knut Andreas Nordmo (Sp) is mayor of Odd Roger Enoksen’s home municipality, Andøya. Photo: Trine Lysholm Hagan/Deadline Enoksen thinks he should not be ostracized – Sitting in a position as defense minister is something completely different from having a role on a board in the power industry. Journalist and media critic Anki Gerhardsen thinks so. Gerhardsen is aware that Metoo has meant a lot, but thinks the questions that arise in this debate are uncomfortable. – There are some rather authoritarian and merciless forces in that movement that worry me. Who here wants to be exposed to a similar sanctioning if one falls out of favor? She elaborates: – There is something about the will to deviate from the humane principles on which the rule of law is built, which is expressed in many Metoo cases. Offenders must be returned to society. It is the basis of our rule of law. And it must also apply to people who have behaved inappropriately. Anki Gerhardsen is a Norwegian journalist, media critic and social debater. Photo: news TV Welcomes the debate Kristin Skare Orgeret is a professor at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Oslo Met. And has researched the Metoo movement. – Each case here is unique and special, and which sanctions against sexual harassment constitute doctor’s appointments are still very difficult to answer unambiguously. It all depends on how extensive a case is, she points out. But reminds me that Metoo is often about asymmetric power relations. Professor Kristin Skare Orgeret at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Oslo Met – the metropolitan university. Photo: Sonja Balci / OsloMet – Thinking about the weakest part in that dimension will get you further. Orgeret thinks the debate that is now being raised is important. And hope that a normalization of the debate can contribute to it becoming less polarized. – So that it becomes easier to notify and also easier to admit that you have made a mistake. See the whole debate on Dagsnytt 18: Today’s most important debates, interviews and comments directly from the radio studio.
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Odd Roger Enoksen back in public office after the Metoo scandal – news Nordland
