Key facts
- Norway's parliament is holding public hearings on Wednesday regarding links between Jeffrey Epstein and Norwegian politicians and diplomats.
- The Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs has summoned 11 current and former foreign and development ministers, including Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.
- Boerge Brende, a former foreign minister, resigned from his role at the World Economic Forum due to his association with Epstein.
- Former minister Erik Solheim criticized the parliamentary probe as an overreaction.
- Former premier Thorbjoern Jagland, former minister Terje Roed-Larsen, and ex-diplomat Mona Juul are under police investigation for corruption accusations related to Epstein.
- An external commission will investigate Norwegian diplomatic history over the last 30 years, with findings due in early 2028.
Norway's parliament is commencing public hearings on Wednesday to investigate the connections between the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Norwegian diplomats and politicians. The scandal has led to parliamentary inquiries and police investigations, with the government facing pressure to restore trust in the foreign service.
Jonas Andersen Sayed, the leader of the hearing at parliament's Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, stated that many individuals demonstrated poor judgment in their friendships with Epstein. The committee has summoned 11 current and former foreign and development ministers, including Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, who served as foreign minister from 2005 to 2012. Stoere has denied any relation to Epstein.
Boerge Brende, a former foreign minister, is also scheduled to testify. He resigned from his position as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum after revelations of his friendly relations with Epstein, stating he was unaware of Epstein's past criminal activities when they first met in 2018 and regretting not investigating him more thoroughly. Erik Solheim, a former development minister, will also testify, arguing that the parliamentary probe is an overreaction that could harm the national interest by causing diplomats to exercise needless self-restraint.
Beyond the parliamentary hearings, several other prominent Norwegians with ties to Epstein are under police investigation for corruption accusations. These include former premier Thorbjoern Jagland, former minister Terje Roed-Larsen, and ex-diplomat Mona Juul, all of whom have denied any criminal wrongdoing. Roed-Larsen has apologized for his close relationship with Epstein, which included a personal loan, and stepped down as CEO of the International Peace Institute in 2020. Queen Mette-Marit, wife of King Haakon, has also apologized for her friendship with Epstein, though she is not subject to the parliamentary hearing.
In parallel, an external commission comprising academics and legal experts has been appointed to examine "matters and issues brought to light" by the Epstein files, with the goal of enhancing the integrity and transparency of Norwegian authorities. This rare investigative commission, which will cover over 30 years of Norwegian diplomatic history, is expected to deliver its findings in early 2028. It marks only the ninth such commission appointed by the Norwegian parliament in the last 140 years.