'Not fair' says Carl I. Hagen as parliament puts stop to Nobel Committee dream
Norway’s parliament on Friday voted in favour of allowing Labour party candidate Berit Reiss-Andersen to continue as a Nobel Committee member.
Reiss-Andersen received 86 votes, while 16 ballots were cast in support of Carl I. Hagen, the former Progress Party leader, reports NRK.
A candidate from the Marxist Red Party received one vote.
“I know what is going to happen, and I won’t be elected,” Hagen told NRK prior to parliament’s vote on Friday.
The influential former leader of the populist Progress Party criticised Norway’s Stortinget parliament over the process that led to the dismissal of his ambitions to join the committee, which decides the award of the annual Nobel Peace Prize.
“It is comical and I think it is interesting that the speaker said that we cannot vote over Hagen’s candidacy since he is not eligible. At the same time, he said that I was one of three candidates that could be voted for,” Hagen told NRK following the vote.
The former Progress Party leader, who is now a deputy MP, also called the decision “sad”, “unfair” and “a parody not worthy of parliament,” according to NRK’s report.
“Why they think it is so bad for Hagen to join the Nobel Committee, I have no idea. I must be a worse person than I thought,” Hagen said.
Aged 73, Hagen is known for his inflammatory rhetoric. He once said that "a society without ethnic minorities is a harmonious society."
The issue over selecting new members to the committee has created political drama in Norway since the Progress Party announced its support for Hagen’s candidature last month.
On Monday, parliament agreed to expedite a vote over whether to prevent deputy MPs – a role currently undertaken by Hagen -- from serving on the committee.
The motion was carried on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: Populist politician Hagen 'prepared to resign' from parliament role to join Nobel Committee
In addition, parliament decided Tuesday to examine, at a later date, whether members of the committee can also serve in leading positions with international organisations.
That could be problematic for former Labour Party leader Thorbjørn Jagland, who is a member of the committee and the secretary general of the Council of Europe.
Hagen told NRK that the process applied by parliament to approve the committee members had been carried out incorrectly.
“The proposal by the majority was to elect Berit Reiss-Andersen to the Nobel Committee from 2018 to 2023. A minority proposed me for the same period. The Progress Party wanted to vote for both, so we must vote for one proposal at a time,” Hagen said.
“If the majority wants to set two proposals against each other, you have to vote for one or the other even though you actually want to vote for both… carrying out alternative voting would be in breach of what is more or less normal constitutional practice,” he said on Thursday.
Parliamentary speaker Olemic Thommesen said on Thursday that Hagen’s bid to join the committee would be unsuccessful.
"There's no reason to believe that Carl I. Hagen will be elected," Thommessen said.
“Parliament approved a motion earlier this week that deputy members and parliamentary representatives cannot be elected to the Nobel Committee,” he told NRK.
Hagen’s role as a deputy member would rule him out in accordance with that vote.
“That means that the Progress Party can, at a later time, nominate members for the Nobel Committee who are eligible,” Thommessen added.
NRK reported Friday that deputy member of the Nobel Committee Kristin Clemet would take over from Progress’ outgoing representative Inger Marie Ytterhorn until a permanent replacement was found.
The committee’s current members are now Berit Reiss-Andersen, Anne Anger, Henrik Syse and Thorbjørn Jagland.
READ ALSO: Norway populist's Nobel committee bid appears blocked
Comments
See Also
Reiss-Andersen received 86 votes, while 16 ballots were cast in support of Carl I. Hagen, the former Progress Party leader, reports NRK.
A candidate from the Marxist Red Party received one vote.
“I know what is going to happen, and I won’t be elected,” Hagen told NRK prior to parliament’s vote on Friday.
The influential former leader of the populist Progress Party criticised Norway’s Stortinget parliament over the process that led to the dismissal of his ambitions to join the committee, which decides the award of the annual Nobel Peace Prize.
“It is comical and I think it is interesting that the speaker said that we cannot vote over Hagen’s candidacy since he is not eligible. At the same time, he said that I was one of three candidates that could be voted for,” Hagen told NRK following the vote.
The former Progress Party leader, who is now a deputy MP, also called the decision “sad”, “unfair” and “a parody not worthy of parliament,” according to NRK’s report.
“Why they think it is so bad for Hagen to join the Nobel Committee, I have no idea. I must be a worse person than I thought,” Hagen said.
Aged 73, Hagen is known for his inflammatory rhetoric. He once said that "a society without ethnic minorities is a harmonious society."
The issue over selecting new members to the committee has created political drama in Norway since the Progress Party announced its support for Hagen’s candidature last month.
On Monday, parliament agreed to expedite a vote over whether to prevent deputy MPs – a role currently undertaken by Hagen -- from serving on the committee.
The motion was carried on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: Populist politician Hagen 'prepared to resign' from parliament role to join Nobel Committee
In addition, parliament decided Tuesday to examine, at a later date, whether members of the committee can also serve in leading positions with international organisations.
That could be problematic for former Labour Party leader Thorbjørn Jagland, who is a member of the committee and the secretary general of the Council of Europe.
Hagen told NRK that the process applied by parliament to approve the committee members had been carried out incorrectly.
“The proposal by the majority was to elect Berit Reiss-Andersen to the Nobel Committee from 2018 to 2023. A minority proposed me for the same period. The Progress Party wanted to vote for both, so we must vote for one proposal at a time,” Hagen said.
“If the majority wants to set two proposals against each other, you have to vote for one or the other even though you actually want to vote for both… carrying out alternative voting would be in breach of what is more or less normal constitutional practice,” he said on Thursday.
Parliamentary speaker Olemic Thommesen said on Thursday that Hagen’s bid to join the committee would be unsuccessful.
"There's no reason to believe that Carl I. Hagen will be elected," Thommessen said.
“Parliament approved a motion earlier this week that deputy members and parliamentary representatives cannot be elected to the Nobel Committee,” he told NRK.
Hagen’s role as a deputy member would rule him out in accordance with that vote.
“That means that the Progress Party can, at a later time, nominate members for the Nobel Committee who are eligible,” Thommessen added.
NRK reported Friday that deputy member of the Nobel Committee Kristin Clemet would take over from Progress’ outgoing representative Inger Marie Ytterhorn until a permanent replacement was found.
The committee’s current members are now Berit Reiss-Andersen, Anne Anger, Henrik Syse and Thorbjørn Jagland.
READ ALSO: Norway populist's Nobel committee bid appears blocked
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.