Summary
At the municipal council meeting in Lom Monday night, Mayor Kristian Frisvold (<span class="note" data-content="
Bygdelista
” data-term=”BL”>BL) opened by declaring war against the county politicians in Innlandet.
“We don’t need to be factual anymore; we can go after the person. That means anything goes, that’s my conclusion on such behavior,” says Frisvold, referring to the debate on school structure in Innlandet.
In Innlandet county, the Labour Party and the Conservatives have now joined forces to close several schools. Together with MDG’s two representatives, the three parties hold a majority in the county council.
The proposal is set to be addressed in the county council this Tuesday and Wednesday.
Kristian Frisvold, Mayor of Lom (Bygdelista).
Photo: Even Lusæther
Frisvold is the mayor for <span class="note" data-content="
Bygdelista are local electoral lists that operate independently of the usual nationwide parties. Bygdelista is a type of local list for the municipal council, with representatives from only one specific area in the municipality.
Source: The Great Norwegian Encyclopedia
” data-term=”Bygdelista”>Bygdelista but is politically linked to the Conservatives.
From the podium, he states that he has contacted journalists and asked them to investigate the county politicians from the Labour Party, MDG, and his own party, the Conservatives.
“We are going to dig up all possible dirt. If I get documentation, I will use it. That’s how it is. It’s war,” the mayor asserts.
He also encourages others to provide information that can be used against the politicians because “it’s clear that factual arguments do not get through.”
Here you can find quick links to the reactions and what the mayor responds to them:
- Local Politicians
- County Mayor (Labour)
- County Deputy Mayor (Conservatives)
- Group Leader in Innlandet Conservatives
- Group Leader in Innlandet MDG
- Frisvold Does Not Regret
– Antidemocratic
Group leader in Lomlista, Kjell Brandsar, and group leader for Lom Center Party, Magnus Bø, distance themselves from the statements in separate press releases.
“We do not support personal attacks,” writes Brandsar in Lomlista.
“The debate over school structure in Innlandet has been about the issue, and it should continue to be so,” writes Bø in Lom Center Party.
Thomas Breen, county mayor from the Innlandet Labour Party, distances himself from Mayor Frisvold’s statements.
“These are strong statements, and I distance myself from such remarks. It is sad that things have come to this. These are very antidemocratic words,” says Breen.
Thomas Breen, County Mayor in Innlandet (Labour)
Photo: Anne Jo Lexander / NRK
The county mayor believes the statements fit into a pattern seen in recent weeks with increasingly harsh rhetoric.
“There has been a tougher person-focused argumentation, and much of it has been directed at me. It’s unfortunate but manageable for me. In the past week, it has spread to involve more members of the county council,” says Breen.
“What do you think is behind these comments?”
“It’s supposedly in context with me having folded a paper airplane in a meeting with the mayor in Dovre. I cannot recall doing that, nor does the county municipality director who was present at the meeting remember it.”
“It’s an activity we would remember if I had done it since it’s a strange thing to do. We were discussing the school issue, and both were clear,” says Breen.
These schools and school locations may be closed in Innlandet:
Stine Bækkelien / NRK
Dokka High School
- Currently has 269 students.
- The school offers six programs:
* General Studies
* Construction and Building Technology
* Electrical and Computer Technology
* Health and Childcare
* Technology and Industrial Studies
* Supplementary to General Study Competence - Distance to the nearest high school: approx. 42 km to Gjøvik High School.
Ann-Kristin Mo / NRK
Skarnes High School
- Currently has 187 students
- The school offers five programs:
* Construction and Building Technology
* Electrical and Computer Technology
* Hairdressing, Flowers, Interior and Display Design
* General Studies
* Supplementary to General Study Competence - Distance to the nearest high school: approx. 22 km to Sentrum High School in Kongsvinger.
Even Lusæter / NRK
Lom School
- One of three departments at Nord-Gudbrandsdal High School.
- Lom School currently has 94 students.
- The school offers two programs:
* Building and Construction
* General Studies - Distance to the nearest high school: approx. 62 kilometers to Nord-Gudbrandsdal High School, Dept. Otta
Even Lusæter
Dombås School
- One of three departments at Nord-Gudbrandsdal High School.
- Dombås School currently has no students
- The school previously offered general studies.
- Distance to the nearest high school: approx. 47 km to Nord-Gudbrandsdal High School, Dept. Otta
Frode Meskau / NRK
Flisa School
- One of three departments at Solør High School.
- Currently has 110 students.
- The school offers two programs:
* General Studies
* Electrical and Computer Technology - Distance to the nearest high school: approx. 18.8 km to Solør High School, Dept. Våler
Stein Eide / NRK
Sønsterud School
- One of three departments at Solør High School.
- Currently has 70 students
- The school offers two programs:
* Nature Management Education
* Supplementary to General Study Competence - Distance to the nearest high school: approx. 18.8 km to Solør High School, Dept. Våler.
County Deputy Mayor Hanne Alstrup Velure (Conservatives) also says it is completely unacceptable.
“It is inflammatory.”
“As a mayor, you do not stand and say that it is war and talk about other politicians in that way. That is not how we do it in Norway.”
Security Unit Notified
As a result of the statements, the security unit in the county municipality has been notified.
“Some find it quite threatening,” says the county deputy mayor.
Hanne Velure, County Deputy Mayor in Innlandet (Conservatives)
Photo: Alf Simensen / NTB
The mayor is associated with the Conservatives. Astrup Velure states that it violates the ethical guidelines of the Conservatives.
“Regardless of whom it is directed against, it shouldn’t happen. Our ethical guidelines in the Conservatives state that we are people who want each other well. This applies not only to ourselves in the Conservatives but also to other people and folks in other parties. This is unacceptable.”
We explain the school issue in Innlandet
Joakim Ekseth, group leader for Innlandet Conservatives, finds the statements peculiar.
“He really can’t mean that.”
“Then you start to lower the debate to a very unsubstantiated level, I think. The thing is that politics is about having different solutions to things. Then we must discuss issues and not persons.”
Asks Him to Withdraw the Statement
Johannes Wahl Gran, group leader in MDG in the county council, says this undermines the trust in politicians.
“We experience this as both threatening and frightening, especially coming from a mayor who is the municipal political face towards the outside world.”
“Encouraging unsubstantiated and personal attacks on politicians undermines not only the trust in the political system but also creates an unsafe and hostile atmosphere for democratic debate.”
Johannes Wahl Gran, group leader in MDG Innlandet in the county council
Photo: Alexander Nordby
Now the group leader demands that Frisvold withdraws his statement.
“I hope and believe that Kristian Frisvold will retract this when he has gathered himself a bit.”
Does Not Regret
After the municipal council meeting, he stands by what he has said and will not apologize for his statements during the municipal council meeting:
“I see no reason for that. I stand by them. The county has started with a low goal in the investigation, without considering anything else, and does not want to take any feedback at all,” Frisvold tells NRK.
“I have also promised that a fundraising campaign will be started to ensure that the Labour Party, Conservatives, and MDG get as low support as possible during the parliamentary election and the next county council election here in Innlandet. Then we will take it from there.”
“Velure also says that you lower the debate to a very unsubstantiated level.”
“Yes, it was nice to hear. For if anyone has lowered the debate to an unsubstantiated level here, it is county politicians. Who do not take in anything, even though it is documented. And presented in a good way. I find it amusing to hear her say that.”
“But when you encourage digging up” “all possible dirt,” do you feel it’s clear enough that you mean within the law?”
“Yes. Yes, yes. Because we don’t engage in illegal things up here in Norddalen. We are reliable most of the time, but we get really angry when we are faced with such unreasonableness and arrogance that all county politicians have shown in this matter.”
Published
21.10.2024, at 20:35
Updated
22.10.2024, at 00:16