Renewed Nobel battle in the Progress Party

The party veterans, Carl I. Hagen and Inger-Marie Ytterhorn, challenge each other for a place in the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. But both can be outmaneuvered by the nomination committee.

After 18 years as a member of the Nobel Committee, Ytterhorn had to take a time out before she concluded. This weekend the answer was clear: the 76-year-old told the election committee in the Progress Party (FrP) that she wants another period in the committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize.

– I meet many exciting people. And it’s still an exciting job, says Ytterhorn to Aftenposten.

At the same time, the former party leader, Carl I. Hagen (73), has announced his interest in joining the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, as he even did in 2011.

Could be someone else

The chairman of the election committee in the Progress Party’s parliamentary group, Ulf Leirstein, confirms to NTB that both Hagen and Ytterhorn wish to be candidates. But at the same time he emphasizes that it can be someone else completely:

– It is not necessarily only a choice between Hagen and Ytterhorn when the Progress Party seat in the Nobel Committee is to be occupied. We have many good candidates in our party and I expect other proposals when the parliamentary group is invited to come up with proposals, says Leirstein to NTB.

Ice front

Hagen himself answers NTB’s question if he still wishes for a seat on the Nobel Committee after Ytterhorn has announced her interest in continuing.

“I have no comment,” says the man who in 2011 resigned as the party’s general for the elderly after he lost to Ytterhorn.

The process led to an already cold relationship between Ytterhorn and Hagen freezing over totally:

– She could have withdrawn and let me have the Nobel job, not in the least to show gratitude to all the political opportunities and meaningful work I had made sure she was given, says Hagen in Gunnar Ringheim’s book “the Progress Party – unfiltered” (FrP – rett fra levra).

Electable as a substitute?

The Nobel Peace Prize Committee is elected by the Parliament after the parties have submitted proposals of their candidates. The committee is supposed to act independently of the Norwegian authorities.

If the Progress Party’s parliamentary group should point to Hagen, it may trigger a debate if the former party leader is electable or not. The uncertainty relates to the rule that states that a active parliamentary representative can not be in the Nobel Committe. Hagen is currently substitute member of Parliament for Oslo.