AP Minister Tonje Brenna Apologizes for Appointing Friend to Controversial Board Position

Title: Education Minister Tonje Brenna Apologizes for Appointing Friend to Board Position

Date: [Current Date]

Education Minister Tonje Brenna has issued an apology for what she calls a lapse in competence after appointing lawyer and friend Frode Elgesem as a board member of the Wergelandsenteret. The Wergelandsenteret is a foundation that provides funding to Utøya AS, where Brenna’s former partner, Martin Henriksen, holds a central position.

Brenna, who has been a member of the AUF and Ap since she was 18, admitted to her mistake and declared herself incompetent in relation to three board members of Utøya AS, including Henriksen. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre acknowledged the seriousness of the matter but expressed his confidence in Brenna as a minister and deputy leader of the Labor Party.

In an interview with VG, Brenna took responsibility for her actions and expressed regret for her poor judgment. She admitted that she had not properly assessed her competence and should not have appointed Elgesem as a board member. Brenna also revealed that she had informed the prime minister about the situation and requested a substitute minister.

Brenna’s appointment of Elgesem as a board member raised concerns due to their close friendship and the potential conflict of interest. Elgesem had previously served as AUF’s assistant lawyer during the 22 July trial. Despite Brenna’s warning about their friendship when she became a minister, she appointed him to the Wergeland Center board in May.

The revelation that Utøya AS receives funding from the Wergeland Center came as a surprise to Brenna, who claimed she was unaware of the connection. She acknowledged that she should have recognized the link between the two organizations earlier.

Prime Minister Støre confirmed that Brenna had made several mistakes related to competence but expressed his belief in her sincerity and trustworthiness. Brenna, who was elected as the party’s new deputy leader in May, has been given the opportunity to rectify the situation and learn from her errors.

The appointment of a substitute minister will be made on Tuesday, according to Brenna’s request. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and careful consideration when making appointments in public positions.

As the Education Minister, Brenna’s role is crucial in shaping the future of the country’s education system. Her commitment to rectifying her mistake and ensuring transparency will be closely watched by the public and her colleagues in the Labor Party.Minister of Education, Tonje Brenna, has issued an apology for what she calls a “lapse in competence” after appointing lawyer and friend Frode Elgesem as a board member of the Wergelandsenteret. The Wergelandsenteret is a foundation that provides funding to Utøya AS, where Brenna’s former partner, Martin Henriksen, is a central figure.

Brenna, who has been a member of the AUF and Ap since she was 18, admitted to her mistake and declared herself incompetent in relation to three board members of Utøya AS, including Henriksen. She has also informed Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre about the situation and requested a substitute minister.

Støre acknowledges the seriousness of the matter but expresses his confidence in Brenna as a minister and deputy leader of the Labor Party. He states that he has had a thorough conversation with Brenna and believes in what she says.

The controversy arose after Brenna appointed Elgesem, who had previously served as AUF’s assistant lawyer during the 22 July trial, as a board member of the Wergelandsenteret. Brenna had previously expressed caution about her friendship with Elgesem when she became a minister. However, she went ahead with the appointment, which she now admits was a mistake.

Brenna also admits to being incompetent in relation to three board members of Utøya AS, including her ex-partner Henriksen. She takes full responsibility for her actions and apologizes for the oversight.

The Prime Minister confirms that Brenna has made several mistakes related to competence but reiterates his trust in her. Brenna was elected as the party’s new deputy leader in May.

Brenna and Elgesem became friends after the 22 July terrorist attacks and have maintained a close relationship since then. They have exchanged text messages on multiple occasions, and Elgesem has also served as the chairman of the Rafto foundation, another organization under Brenna’s responsibility.

Brenna’s appointment of Elgesem as a board member of the Wergelandsenteret raised concerns about integrity and competence. Elgesem himself had sent Brenna a text message in March, asking her to assess his integrity in relation to a possible grant to the Rafto foundation. Brenna admits that she did not follow up on the message and now realizes that it was a poor judgment on her part.

Elgesem clarifies that he sent the message to contribute to ensuring that competency assessments were carried out properly. He emphasizes that he is not involved in the competency assessment process.

Brenna claims that she was not aware of the financial support provided by the Wergelandsenteret to Utøya AS. She acknowledges that she should have recognized the link between the two organizations earlier.

The Wergelandsenteret and Utøya AS have collaborated closely since 2016, particularly on the project “22. July and democratic citizenship.” Utøya AS includes Brenna’s ex-partner Henriksen and two close friends, Hilde Firman Fjellså and Marianne Wilhelmsen, both former AUF members.

Brenna’s oversight has raised questions about her judgment and the allocation of funds. However, she takes full responsibility for her actions and expresses her commitment to being open and rectifying the situation.

The Deputy Prime Minister will be appointed on Tuesday to temporarily replace Brenna while the matter is being addressed.Title: Education Minister Tonje Brenna Apologizes for Appointing Friend to Board Position

Date: [Current Date]

Education Minister Tonje Brenna has issued an apology for what she calls a lapse in competence after appointing lawyer and friend Frode Elgesem as a board member of the Wergelandsenteret. The Wergelandsenteret is a foundation that provides funding to Utøya AS, where Brenna’s former partner, Martin Henriksen, holds a central position.

Brenna, who has been involved with AUF and Ap since she was 18, admitted to her mistake and declared herself incompetent in appointing Elgesem and three board members of Utøya AS. She expressed her regret and took full responsibility for the oversight.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre acknowledged the seriousness of the matter but expressed his confidence in Brenna as a minister and deputy leader of the Labor Party. Støre stated that he had a thorough conversation with Brenna and believed in her sincerity.

Brenna, who became the party’s new deputy leader in May, revealed that she had raised concerns about her friendship with Elgesem during her meeting with the prime minister after assuming office. She emphasized the need to be cautious about their relationship due to their involvement in the 22 July terror attacks.

Brenna and Elgesem became acquainted after the attacks and have maintained a close friendship ever since. They have exchanged text messages on multiple occasions, and Elgesem has been involved in significant personal events in Brenna’s life, such as her wedding and bachelor party.

Despite Brenna’s warning to the ministry about being careful with Elgesem, she appointed him as a board member of the Wergeland Center in May. Elgesem had previously sent Brenna a text message in March, expressing his concern about his integrity and requesting an assessment. However, Brenna failed to follow up on the matter, which she now admits was a poor judgment on her part.

Brenna acknowledged that she had given a board position to someone she was too close to and considered herself incompetent towards. She expressed remorse for her decision and admitted that it should not have happened.

Elgesem clarified that he sent the text message to Brenna to ensure that competency assessments were conducted appropriately. He emphasized that he was not involved in the assessment process and that it was solely the responsibility of the minister and the ministry.

The prime minister confirmed that he had been briefed on the situation and announced that a substitute minister would be appointed on Tuesday. While the matter is serious, Støre reiterated his confidence in Brenna’s abilities as a minister and deputy leader of the Labor Party.

The appointment of a friend to a board position has raised concerns about favoritism and potential conflicts of interest. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining transparency and impartiality in political appointments.

What steps does Brenna plan to take to rebuild trust and ensure accountability in light of the controversy surrounding her appointment of Elgesem?

With Elgesem when she became a minister. However, she still made the decision to appoint him as a board member, which she now admits was a mistake. She also admitted that she was unaware of the financial connection between the Wergelandsenteret and Utøya AS and should have recognized it earlier.

The controversy surrounding Brenna’s appointment of Elgesem raises concerns about integrity and competence. Elgesem had previously sent Brenna a text message asking her to assess his integrity in relation to a possible grant to the Rafto foundation, another organization under Brenna’s responsibility. Brenna admits that she did not follow up on the message, which she now acknowledges was a poor judgment on her part.

Brenna’s oversight has raised questions about her judgment and the allocation of funds. However, she takes full responsibility for her actions and expresses her commitment to being open and rectifying the situation. She has informed the prime minister about the situation and has requested a substitute minister.

The appointment of a substitute minister will be made on Tuesday, according to Brenna’s request. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and careful consideration when making appointments in public positions. Brenna’s commitment to rectifying her mistake and ensuring transparency will be closely watched by the public and her colleagues in the Labor Party.

As the Education Minister, Brenna plays a crucial role in shaping the future of the country’s education system. Her actions and response to this situation will be significant in rebuilding trust and ensuring accountability.