Norway currently ranks a healthy fifth on the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, just behind Denmark, Finland, Singapore, and New Zealand. However, despite the strong position at the top of the rankings, experts have cautioned against complacency.
In the past decade, Norway’s score has declined by five percentage points. This trend may indicate a slight increase in corruption, or perhaps, as a recent report by forskning.no suggests that more of it is simply coming to light.
“I certainly believe that the corruption cases uncovered recently are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Jo Thori Lind, professor at the Department of Economics, University of Oslo.
He emphasises that Norway may be more corrupt than previously assumed, but measuring corruption remains difficult due to its concealed nature.
This problem has become particularly evident in recent scandals involving high-ranking figures and their connections to the Epstein files, such as a former Prime Minister and the Crown Princess.
Other cases have also weakened public trust. For example, former CEO of Norsk Industri Stein Lier Hansen was widely criticised for using company money to finance hunting cabins and trips for personal friends.
Anders Besseberg, former head of the International Biathlon Union, was convicted of aggravated corruption in connection with bribes, hunting excursions, and the services of prostitutes.
Professor Lind identified a common factor in these cases: they involve powerful figures whom the public trusted.
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The 'grey area'
In contrast to the blatant bribery and corruption observed in some other countries, in Norway it tends to hide in plain sight.
It often remains concealed within elite social circles and can operate through a trust-based system that is rarely exposed until a scandal breaks.
Lind refered to these practices as "friend services", which are favours exchanged among influential individuals. Such favours may include private hunting trips, exotic holidays, or expensive apartments sold at significantly reduced prices.
Because these individuals often possess "idol status" in Norwegian society, their networks are rarely scrutinised.
Is Norway naive?
A key aspect of Norway’s identity is that it is a high-trust society. For decades, this trust has served as the foundation of the economy and government, contributing to an efficient society where things "simply work".
“In Norway, we have been naive, believing that corruption is something that only happens elsewhere,” Lind said.
This "naivety" is more than a social characteristic; it can be a vulnerability. The idea of the incorruptibility of Norwegian institutions has contributed to a resistance to the implementation of stricter regulations, as there was little need for such rules.
Professor Lind believes Norway is moving from one extreme to another: shifting from the belief that no one is corrupt to the fear that everyone is.
The lobbying problem
To restore public trust, Lind emphasised the importance of transparency.
Unlike its neighbours, Norway does not have a mandatory lobby register. Without a public record of who is meeting with politicians and interest groups, the distinction between legitimate lobbying and corruption can remain dangerously questionable.
“Transparency is a good countermeasure against corruption, although unfortunately, there is no miracle cure,” Lind said.
As Norway moves from a position of total trust to one of growing suspicion, an important challenge will be to prove that the "Nordic Model" can handle these uncomfortable truths.
The aim is to evolve, and make sure that transparency and accountability remain the basis of the trust that defines the society.
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