The matter in summary: • In Norway, only three out of 356 mayors are multicultural, despite the fact that one in five of the population has a multicultural background.• There is agreement among politicians that politics should reflect society, and that it is important to have multicultural representation.• It is a challenge that multicultural politicians are often elected to municipal councils, but do not rise higher in the system or to a position of mayor. • Ali Horori in Bodø’s city council believes that multicultural people themselves must take responsibility for participation in society.• Nancy Lystad Herz, known as one of the authors of the book “Shameless”, believes that those with a multicultural background cannot be expected to take responsibility for the diversity in a large apparatus.• Research shows that the background of politicians affects how they think and carry out their job, and that a mayor with an immigrant background may have different perspectives than those with an ethnic Norwegian background. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Ian Parry-Jones, mayor of Nissedal, came from Great Britain as a 20-year-old in 1990. – Do you consider yourself multicultural? – I have lived in Norway for 33 years, so I feel that I belong in Norway, says Parry-Jones. He is one of two mayors who have immigrated to Norway. The other is Timo Knoch in Eidfjord municipality, who moved to Norway from Germany in 2008. He believes that politics should reflect society. Parry-Jones moved to Norway to work in the IT industry, and for the past 10 years he has run a grocery store in Nissedal. In 2014, he joined the Center Party (Sp). – I lived in Oslo for 20 years, was politically and socially involved, but no one asked me if I wanted to be involved in politics before I came to Nissedal. – So maybe that is what is needed; that you have to ask? Parry-Jones says that politics should reflect society. Photo: SINDRE THORESEN LØNNES / news He adds that politics is a team effort that should reflect all walks of life, and that it is therefore important that you invite everyone to express themselves. – In Nissedal, I feel that we have a good balance. In the municipality, approximately 12 percent have an immigrant background and in the municipal council, approximately three out of 17 have a background from another country. It is important, Parry-Jones believes, that municipal councils reflect the population. 819,400 immigrants were resident in Norway at the start of 2022. In addition, 205,800 Norwegian-born with immigrant parents lived in the country. Together, these two groups make up 18.9 per cent of Norway’s population, according to IMDi. – Must make a greater effort at the next election Norwegian-born Kenny Rettore is mayor of Sandnes municipality and has an Italian father. – Do you consider yourself multicultural? – I was born and raised in Sandnes. I’m Norwegian, he says. Photo: JOHAN MIHLE LAUGALAND / news Around 20 percent of the population in Sandnes has a multicultural background. – It is better now than it has been before, but we have not been good enough to recruit multicultural people. – We do not mirror the population, says Rettore. On the other hand, the Conservative Party has had a great focus on bringing in both women and younger people. – For the first time, there are more women from the Conservative Party than men in the municipal council in Sandnes. – In the same way, I think that at the next election we must make an extra effort and do more to recruit multicultural people than what we did now. At the same time, he believes that the responsibility for including more people with a foreign cultural background is shared. Kenny Rettore, pictured here with Høyre’s group in Sandnes municipal council 2019-2023, was re-elected as mayor of Sandnes this week. Photo: Øystein Otterdal / news Rettore believes that the Conservative Party as a party has an effort to make in terms of recruitment and must be more out among people in different environments. At the same time, he believes that the responsibility also lies with the individuals themselves. He emphasizes that it is important to show that it is possible for everyone to contribute politically in Norway. Believes multicultural people themselves must take responsibility Ali Horori (Ap) in Bodø’s city council believes that there are two things in particular that must be done to get better representation of multicultural people in local politics. – The most important thing is what kind of policy is pursued, and not what kind of background the politicians have, says Ali Horori, who has been on Bodø’s city council for 16 years. Photo: Lars-Bjørn Martinsen / news – Firstly, the various political parties must give candidates with a multicultural background the opportunity to be on election lists and get involved. – Secondly, it is important that we with a multicultural background get on the field and take responsibility for what happens in society. His call is clear: If you are annoyed that there is a lack of multicultural representation, then join politics in order to increase diversity. – Inclusion is a choice Nancy Lystad Herz is a non-fiction writer and known to many as one of “the shameless girls”. She believes that the parties are missing out on valuable expertise and experience. – They cannot afford that in a diverse society. Nancy Lystad Herz believes that we must hold politicians accountable when they do not work well enough for increased diversity and inclusion. Photo: Robert Rønning / Robert Rønning / news Herz believes that the parties lose credibility if they encourage others to work for increased diversity and inclusion, but do not do the work themselves. – Raising a diversity of voices, including people with ethnic minority backgrounds, is both a leadership responsibility and a responsibility for the election committee. – Diversity is a fact in Norway in 2023, but inclusion is a choice. Herz adds that those with a multicultural background, or representatives of other minority groups, cannot be expected to take responsibility for diversity in a large apparatus. – It is those with personnel responsibility, who hire or appoint, who must take responsibility for local politics reflecting the breadth it should. She points out that there are always some pioneers who step forward and pave the way, but that the pioneers often do so at great personal cost and as “the one” – The one in a wheelchair, the one queer and the one with an ethnic minority background have to bear the burden for diversity alone. It shouldn’t be like that. One of these pioneers is former Minister of Culture and Equality, Abid Raja. Believes diversity is healthy for democracy He would like to see more mayors with a minority background. Photo: Robert Rønning / news – Democracy is under pressure all over the world, so it is particularly important that those who hold positions at all levels of politics reflect the population. Raja believes that would be healthy for democracy. – We must actively search for committed people outside the traditional environments and encourage diversity, he believes. Raja’s call is clear: Everyone with a commitment to society should join a party and participate. – I, along with several others, are an example that you can reach the very top, in the party leadership, with a seat in the Storting and as a minister. Not surprised Johannes Bergh has researched multicultural participation in local democracy and says he is not surprised. Johannes Bergh is head of research at the Institute for Social Research. Photo: Eivind Molde / news – In local politics, especially in the municipalities, the representation of people and politicians with a multicultural background is actually not that bad. The challenge is that they are elected to the municipal councils, but do not get that much higher up in the system or to the position of mayor. – Why is it like that? – Maybe you have to ask the political parties about that. They are the ones who recruit and decide who to have as a mayoral candidate. He says that the parties would like to have politicians with a multicultural background on the lists, but that they are not prioritized at the top of the list or to sit in the chairmanship and committee. Bergh believes that the politicians must take responsibility for that. – Does it matter that we lack people with a multicultural background? – Research shows that the kind of background you have as a politician affects how you think and carry out your job, says Bergh and adds that background therefore does not mean everything. – But a mayor with an immigrant background will probably have different perspectives than those with an ethnic Norwegian background. In addition, Bergh believes that you will have an advantage in reaching multicultural voters. news has reviewed lists for all mayors in Norway. As far as we have known, only Ian Parry-Jones and Timo Knoch have an immigrant background. We nevertheless reserve the right that there may be mayors with multicultural backgrounds that we are not familiar with.
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Only three of 356 mayors have a multicultural background and only two of them are immigrants – news Nordland
