This is an editorial commentary.
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Labor Party) recently admitted to making a «mistake» after it became known that his son was granted an internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The minister failed to inform the Secretary General or the legal department of his son’s application, which resulted in a formal conflict-of-interest assessment never being conducted before the employment became a reality.
As a direct consequence of the attention and the questions of principle raised by the case, the son has now chosen to withdraw from the position. Grafen believes that Espen Barth Eide must also resign.
We look upon Putin’s Russia with contempt, where the children of the most powerful glide seamlessly into top state positions. But while we point at Moscow, a creeping «ukultur» (unhealthy culture) has infected our own political center. The truth is uncomfortable, but it must be said out loud: In today’s Norway, the Labor Party has become the very symbol of nepotism.
When Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide allows his own son, Knut Barth Eide, to secure a coveted internship in his own department, it is not just an «oversight.» It is a symptom of a deeper malaise in Norwegian democracy. But Barth Eide is not alone; he is merely the latest example in a long line of Labor politicians who view public institutions and non-profit organizations as their own private playground.
To understand the scope of the problem, we need look no further than Raymond Johansen (Labor) and his transition to Norwegian People’s Aid. While ordinary people must adhere to application deadlines and qualification principles, it seems different rules apply to the Labor Party’s inner circle.
- Circumvention of rules: Norwegian People’s Aid advertised the position of Secretary General with a deadline of August 27, 2023. When the deadline expired, Raymond Johansen was still the Governing Mayor of Oslo.
- Convenient «solutions»: Only after it became clear that Johansen had lost power in Oslo did a magical solution appear: He was appointed Secretary General, despite the fact that the regular application deadline had long since passed.
- The stark contrast: At the same time Johansen was ushered into safety, Norwegian People’s Aid had to announce the layoffs of 1,700 employees globally. The contrast between the political elite securing their own at the top and the brutal realities for employees at the bottom is not just distasteful—it is morally reprehensible.
The Norwegian «Siloviki» Children
This is where the parallels to Putin’s Russia become frighteningly clear. In Russia, people speak of the «siloviki» children—the sons of security elites who inherit power and positions as if by birthright. When we see Barth Eide’s son gain entry to the MFA, and Raymond Johansen land firmly in a top position after an election defeat, we see exactly the same mechanism: A closed elite securing each other and their own.
In a well-functioning democracy, power should be monitored and positions awarded based on merit. In a nepotistic system, whether in Moscow or at Youngstorget (Labor headquarters), power is awarded based on loyalty and kinship. When the Labor Party operates in this manner, they undermine the very trust upon which Norwegian society is built.
Espen Barth Eide claims he «made a mistake.» But a man of his experience, who has navigated international waters for decades, knows exactly what a conflict of interest means. He chose to ignore it because he felt safe in a system where people protect one another.
These are not isolated incidents; they are a pattern. It is a culture where the distinction between party, state, and family has ceased to exist.
| Case | Involved | Issue |
| MFA Intern | Espen Barth Eide (father) / Knut (son) | Breach of conflict-of-interest rules and reporting duty. |
| Norwegian People’s Aid | Raymond Johansen / Labor network | Employment after deadline; political «fallback» solution. |
| General trend | Støre Government | Repeated conflict-of-interest scandals (stocks, favors for friends). |
Trust is a non-renewable resource. Once exhausted, it cannot be restored with a hollow apology on the state news agency, NRK. By allowing his son to get a foot in the door at the MFA, Barth Eide has shown that he lacks the necessary judgment required of a cabinet minister.
If we accept that our leaders operate as a small «political nobility,» we have already begun the same path that has led Russia into democratic darkness. We cannot have a Foreign Minister who practices the same methods that we condemn in our neighbors to the east.
Espen Barth Eide has not only failed his office; he has exhibited an arrogance that proves he is finished as a statesman. To save what remains of the government’s public image, and to set an example against the increasing nepotism in the Labor Party, there is only one way out: He must resign immediately.