– You ask me whether, after eight years as city council leader, I should get money… damn it. Damn. It is a clearly upset Raymond Johansen who talks to news about the severance pay he receives from Oslo municipality. In Oslo, as in other municipalities and counties, the rules are such that politicians can receive severance pay when they retire. Those who do not have a job to go to can apply to receive up to three months’ severance pay. news has investigated how many politicians benefit from the scheme in the country’s counties. Over 50 politicians on severance pay The answer is 54. About half of them are former full-time politicians from Oslo, while there are eleven politicians from Viken. Here the county politicians get severance pay Of the country’s county politicians, 54 politicians have been granted severance pay, news’s insight shows. Oslo is included in the figure. Oslo: 26 politicians have been granted severance pay. 22 are politicians from the resigned city council (5 city councilors and 17 city council secretaries), while 4 are from the city council. Viken: 11 are granted severance pay. 3 of them have jobs to return to and receive 1.5 months’ back pay. The others have 3 months. Rogaland: 4 politicians have been granted 3 months’ back pay. 1 politician is granted 1.5 months. Nordland: 5 politicians have applied for severance pay. 1 of these for 3 months. 4 apply in 1 month or longer. Troms and Finnmark: No one has yet applied for severance pay, but the county will not be dissolved until the new year and applications may come later. Trøndelag: 2 politicians have been granted 3 months’ severance pay, and 1 politician has been granted severance pay for just over 2 months. Vestland: 2 full-time politicians have been granted severance pay. Møre and Romsdal: 2 politicians have been granted 3 months’ back pay. Agder: 1 politician has been granted 3 months’ back pay. 2, severance pay is granted for 1 and 9 days respectively. Inland: No one should have applied Vestfold-Telemark: No one should have applied Sources: County municipalities/city council in Oslo. Most prominent of them all is Raymond Johansen. Already the day before he resigned as city council leader, he revealed that he will become the new general secretary of Norwegian People’s Aid. Solidarity in practice is the slogan of Johansen’s new workplace. He will be Norwegian People’s Aid’s new general secretary. Photo: Gunnar Bratthammer / news At his own request, he does not start his new job until three months after he retired as a full-time politician. – That you need some time between assignments like this is very natural. Also to do a good job where I get to, says Johansen. The three-month break also means that he can receive the maximum payout from Oslo’s retirement scheme. With his old salary of almost NOK 1.6 million, he is likely to receive NOK 395,000 in severance pay. – You had a good income as city council leader. Do you really need the 400,000 kroner? – Do you seriously think you’re going to ask me that?!? – It’s rude. An indecent question, continues an angry Johansen. Pensioners on back pay The back pay will ensure that full-time politicians are not left without income when their term of office is over. But news’s review shows that pensioners also receive severance pay. The almost 75-year-old county politician Geir Kjell Andersland from Vestland is one of at least two to receive this. He himself thinks it is fair and reasonable. The 74-year-old left-wing politician Geir Kjell Andersland has been granted three months’ severance pay by Vestland County Council. It comes on top of his pension as the rules are. Photo: Aleksander Åsnes / news Before he became a full-time politician, the left-wing politician ran a law practice. He had to give it up when he was given several political positions two years ago. If it wasn’t for politics, he would now have the income from this in addition to his pension, he explains. – It will be too difficult to restart the legal business since it has not been maintained, says Andersland and explains that he had planned to run it this year. – I understand well that you problematise this, says Geir Kjell Andersland. Political analyst Svein Tore Marthinsen points out that few in the population have the same opportunity. – The vast majority of voters have to live on the pensions they receive. Could have started earlier Retired politicians can therefore receive severance pay on top of their pension. The Storting has decided that. It is not like that for other politicians. Money they earn while receiving severance pay is deducted from their severance pay. This means that the taxpayers would have saved hundreds of thousands of kroner if Raymond Johansen had started the new job earlier. Oslo’s former city council leader Raymond Johansen needs time both to relax and to prepare for the new job after eight intense years, he says. Photo: news According to Norwegian People’s Aid, it was Johansen’s own wish to wait with the start-up. They could have accepted him earlier, but understand and respect his wish, they inform news. Johansen says he needs time, both to get a little break and to prepare. – You are not able to start a job like that the day after leading Oslo municipality for eight years. He emphasizes that he hopes to start just after the New Year – ahead of schedule. In that case, he will receive less severance pay. – Sends a signal Full-time politicians may be entitled to severance pay when they retire. But that does not mean that they have to make maximum use of the scheme, says social scientist Marthinsen. He points out that many people in Norway are now struggling financially. In addition, trust in politicians has weakened. Among other things, because politicians have abused lucrative schemes – such as commuter housing. – Even if you have the law on your side, there is something about sending some good signals out into society, he says. – I would like to imagine that some politicians should be able to think about how this appears to voters, says Svein Tore Marthinsen about politicians’ retirement schemes. Photo: Private
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Raymond Johansen receives generous severance pay from Oslo municipality – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
