Tonje Brenna got the job as minister of knowledge in October 2021, as part of Støre’s Labor Party/Sp government. As a new minister, Brenna met the minister – as all new ministers do. Here she presented difficult cases and friendships. – I said that we had to keep an eye on Frode Elgesem. And I said that I survived the 22 July terror, says Brenna to VG on Tuesday. – We are good friends, and have a very special relationship because of 22 July. We have had dinners together, he held a quiz at my bachelor party and he was a guest at my wedding, Brenna tells the newspaper. Tonje Brenna and Frode Elgesem hug after the trial after 22 July 2012. Photo: Alexander Widding / Zuma Press Asks Brenna to assess her position – I have handled the trial too late and too poorly. It has led to me making several mistakes and I apologize for that, says Brenna on Tuesday. FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug believes Brenna should consider her position. – The press conference does not contribute to dampening the seriousness of the case. It is incredible to hear that she has been disqualified for more than a year and a half, says Frp leader Sylvi Listhaug to news. – Mistakes can be made, but she receives a warning from Frode Elgesem on 3 March, which she fails to follow up. Then it appears as if she does not understand what the rules of competence consist of or why it is important to follow them. It’s unbelievable that she hasn’t woken up before, Listhaug continues. When asked if the FRP has confidence in the Minister of Knowledge, Listhaug replies: – She should assess her position. Education Minister Tonje Brenna says on Tuesday that she gave a board position to a good friend. Even took up friendship without following up The Minister of Education says she now wants to clean things up. – The king in the cabinet will today appoint a deputy minister for me in all matters related to Utøya AS and Frode Elgesem, she continues. According to Brenna, she herself took up her friendship with Elgesem early in her term as a minister. – But I have not followed this up well enough. I have handled the issue too badly and too late. Brenna confirms that she is close friends with three board members of Stiftelsen Utøya AS. – How could this happen? – Obviously should have assessed my competence earlier. I now want to be open about the mistakes I have made. Brenna tells news that Elgesem himself raised the issue of competence already in March. 3 March 2023 16:25 Frode Elgesem: Dear Tonje! Congratulations on a great performance both in Politisk kvarter and other channels. Strong tailwind at the moment! Very right, deserved and good! I just want to remind you (and you may already know) that there is a lot of contact between your people in KD and the Rafto Foundation at the moment in the case of a possible grant for a new Rafto building in Bergen. In any case, there is nothing in the matter for your department to investigate the matter, but I assume that it will be at a political level at some point. Sake is of course very important to Rafto, but I am not entirely sure how a competency assessment will turn out. I just want you to be aware of this in good time so that it can be handled neatly from all sides – and so that the matter does not cause any problems for you. Good weekend! Frode4. March 2023 10:20 Tonje Brenna: Dear Frode. I will of course check that everything is in order. Glad you’re tidy! Hope all is well with you and Merete and the children, and of course Shaggy 😊 have a good weekend! – Gross misjudgment Chairman of the Storting’s Control and Constitution Committee Peter Frølich (H) believes Brenna has made a gross misjudgment. – Tonje Brenna has made a gross misjudgment. The appointment of Elgesem looks like a clear breach of the rules of competence. It is particularly startling when Elgesem himself asked her to assess her competence, he says in a press release. The control committee will investigate the Brenna case. According to Frølich, Brenna herself notified the control and constitution committee on Monday evening. – I myself received a phone call from Tonje Brenna last night where she informed me about the matter. It was an orderly conversation. She was open about the mistakes and promised the control committee all the information we ask for. I appreciate that as committee leader. It was VG who mentioned the case first. Frode Elgesem on the last day of the trial after 22 July. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB Regards the appointment as invalid Elgesem says to news that he has not been part of the competence assessment and that this has been up to the minister himself and the ministry. When asked what he now thinks about his future as a board member in the position he now holds in the Wergelandstiftelsen, he says: – I expect the appointment to be invalid. – Has made several mistakes Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) confirms this to the newspaper: – Tonje has made several mistakes related to integrity. It is serious, and she has regretted it. Støre says he still has confidence in his minister. – I have had a thorough conversation with Tonje about this matter. I believe in what she says, and have confidence in her as a minister and deputy leader of the Labor Party. Brenna herself tells VG that she has made a serious mistake. – I have made a serious mistake related to my competence. I have assessed my competence too poorly and too late, she says. Tonje Brenna says she has made several mistakes. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB Became known during the 22 July trial Elgesem was AUF’s assistant lawyer during the 22 July trial and the close friendship must have already started then. On 2 May this year, she appointed Elgesem to the job of board member of the Wergeland Centre, a foundation the Ministry of Education gives NOK 5 million a year, according to VG. – Shocked MDG and FRP want the Brenna case to be dealt with in the control committee. Lan Marie Berg, parliamentary leader in MDG, says the following to news: – I am shocked. Competency is something that is absolutely fundamental for politicians to have control over. We believe it is necessary to gain more insight into what has happened and that the matter should be dealt with by the control and constitutional committee. The warning lights should have sounded. 16 August 2022 12:04 Frode Helgesem: Hi Tonje! You must be stressing around in the rain here. I see you’re taking part in a debate in the Human Rights tent at 1pm. I thought I’d stop by there together with Jostein from Rafto afterwards (but maybe not from the very beginning) Maybe see you then? Mr. FrodeTonje Brenna: Great! See you there 😊 I’m only there at the beginning, da16. August 2022 13:47 Frode Helgesem: Ok. Lots going on! See you. Frode Helgesem: Outside now. Tonje Brenna: Coming! – Not an obvious mistake Professor and disqualification expert Jan Fridthjof Bernt says there must be a close, personal friendship before disqualification hits. – Very often it is about the fact that you have visited each other and have a private and personal friendship, he says. He says that incapacity is a discretionary assessment. – It is a discretionary assessment that one should not be too sure about. In any case, there is not an obvious error here.
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– Should evaluate his position – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
