Progress Party chairman knew about sex allegations (Dagsavisen)

Despite knowing full well of the sex allegations being made against deputy chairman Terje Søviknes, Progress Party chairman Carl I. Hagen pressed hard to make sure he would get into the Storting at the next general election. It was not until yesterday that Mr Søviknes was forced to seek leave of absence from his party responsibilities. Mr Søviknes had sex with a drunk 16-year-old girl at the annual conference of the party’s youth wing in January last year. Speaking through her lawyer, the girl said she felt as though she was the victim of a sexual assault.

Resign now (Dagbladet)

Progress Party veteran and deputy chairman of the party’s parliamentary group John Alvheim has stated clearly that Terje Søviknes must resign as deputy party chairman and give up any other positions he may hold within the Progress Party. Mr Alvheim’s statement means that Mr Søviknes has practically no chance of making a political come-back. John Alvheim is one of Carl I. Hagen’s closest advisers.

No Nato help for Norway (Dagsavisen)

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg believes it will become increasingly difficult to defend Norway’s interests from outside the EU. He believes the USA will gradually reduce its involvement in European security issues, and says that being a member of the Nato alliance alone is a problem for Norway. "I am sure that we would have a considerably larger influence on areas of vital national importance if Norway had been a member of the EU. In formal terms there would have been a stronger basis for taking account of Norwegian interests in such areas as energy, defence, transport, fisheries and regional policy," said Mr Stoltenberg in Brussels yesterday.

Labour Party rebellion over proposed cut in sick pay (Klassekampen)

A broad grassroots rebellion in the Labour Party, led by the unions, the party’s women’s movement and its youth wing, will make it impossible for the Stoltenberg government to introduce a cut in sick pay benefits. "There is no misunderstanding our opposition to a cut in sick pay benefits," says Karin Yrvin, secretary of the Labour Party’s women’s movement.

Church backs gay adoption (Vårt Land)

The secretariat of the National Council of the Church of Norway wants gays to be allowed to adopt their partner’s children in the same way as married couples. The National Council’s secretariat is backing the Government’s controversial proposals because it wishes "to make childhood more secure for a greater number of youngsters". The National Council, which is an elected body, will decide whether or not to approve the secretariat’s proposed response to changes in the Adoption Act and the Act on Registered Partnerships for Homosexual Couples later in the week. The National Council has previously opposed the introduction of the Act on Registered Partnerships for Homosexual Couples.

EU to investigate suspected fish fraud (Dagens Næringsliv)

The EU suspects Norwegian fish exporters of illegally avoiding customs duties, and plans to carry out a wide-ranging investigation. The Norwegian companies will be required to prove that they have not tried to pass off cod that was really Russian in origin as Norwegian fish. As a result of the EEA Agreement, Norway is able to sell fish into the EU at a reduced tariff. Russia does not have the same agreement, and Russian fish is therefore subject to a higher tariff rate.

Security checks often too stringent (Aftenposten)

The Armed Forces are very often forced to admit that their security checks on individuals do not come to the right conclusion. Last year 306 people appealed to the Armed Forces’ body that handles security clearances after their application for a security clearance had been rejected – 183 of them won their appeal either in full or in part.

Worth Noting

• Child welfare authorities were informed nine months ago by a 16-year-old girl that she had been sexually assaulted and that Terje Søviknes was the alleged assailant. (Dagbladet)
• Following an eight-hour crisis meeting to discuss the sex scandal currently confronting the Progress Party, the party leadership emerged late yesterday evening to call for forgiveness and reconciliation. (Verdens Gang)
• The backlog of cases waiting for a decision by the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) is out of control. In 15,327 cases the UDI failed to meet the deadlines set by the Ministry for handling applications. Over 25,000 people are now waiting for the UDI to make a decision on their case. (Verdens Gang)
• Last year Norwegian families ate over 69,000 tonnes of fish, worth almost NOK 3.7 billion. The domestic market for seafood is larger than Japan, Denmark or any other single country which imports fish from Norway. The average price of fish in Norway is more than twice that paid for Norwegian fish in the EU or Japan. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• German investment capital will be used to help increase exports of Norwegian akevitt, a traditional spirit distilled from potato mash. The new German investor has growth ambitions for Arcus, Norway’s part-privatized producer of spirituous liquors. (Aftenposten)
• Norsk Hydro achieved profits of NOK 28.5 billion in 2000. High prices for oil, gas and light metals, and a high exchange rate with the US dollar contributed to the record result. (Aftenposten)
• Despite perfect hunting conditions, the wolf hunters in Sør-Elvdal ended the third day of their mission still empty-handed. But the wolf hunters were cheered by the fact that the flock of media reporters from Norway and abroad is starting to thin out. (NTB)

Today’s comment from Aftenposten

Carl I. Hagen’s law of survival is that "it can always get worse". But compared to yesterday, it is hard to imagine how any day could be worse for Mr Hagen’s life’s work, the Progress Party, or for himself as its political leader. Terje Søviknes, one of the party’s deputy chairmen, who Mr Hagen had spared no effort to get elected to the Storting and who was being groomed as Mr Hagen’s possible successor, was forced to make a humiliating exit from Norwegian politics. He says that he still intends to fight for his political future, so his exit may be temporary. But it is hard to see how any come-back could be possible. Even though he showed some personal courage yesterday by confessing his misdeeds on several television channels, he has previously demonstrated such a lack of moral decency and political judgement as to make himself unsuited to hold prominent office in any Norwegian political party. Mr Søviknes has the legal right to be considered innocent of any crime until proved guilty. There are therefore no grounds to assert that he committed rape during the annual conference of the Progress Party’s youth wing last year. But after he admitted having sexual relations with a 16-year-old delegate, a line must be drawn between his legal liability and his moral and political responsibility. And in this latter respect his judgement has proved to be so overwhelmingly lacking that seeking leave of absence will not be enough to pacify fellow party members or others who have reacted strongly to this scandal.