[ad_1]
Former Labor leader and Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland will publish the first volume of his new book, “You Will Own It Yourself” on Wednesday.
NRK gained access to the book on Tuesday night.
In addition to entering the brutal power struggle with his successor Jens Stoltenberg, and the landmark 1997 ultimatum, the former Labor leader and prime minister talks about the conflict with Martin Kolberg.
Martin Kolberg and Thorbjørn Jagland came from Lier. They were childhood friends and worked closely together.
Together they entered the AUF and followed each other to the party office. Kolberg was also Jagland’s wedding fiancé.
Kolberg was a childhood friend and fiancé.
Kolberg was Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s office under Gro Harlem Brundtland from 1995 to 1996. But when Jagland took over as Prime Minister, his friend and colleague Kolberg was transferred from SMK to the Ministry of Defense.
It was perceived as a clear degradation and caused the breakdown of the friendship. Jagland writes in the book that it has become “a big deal” that he did not name Kolberg as SMK chief of staff, but instead elected secretary Britt Schultz.
“When Martin found out about Britt Schultz’s election, he came to my house in Tranby. It was the night before I ran for government, and he sat late into the night. He was very disappointed and wanted me to reverse the decision (…).
He continues: “That night I explained to Martin that I couldn’t change my mind. He had asked another. I was very sorry for what happened. To give the impression that I was failing my old friend was doubly sad. However, I thought it would do me no good to tell my version of what happened. “
Kolberg: – This is incorrect.
According to Jagland, it was Kolberg who took the initiative to transfer him from SMK to the Ministry of Defense, suggesting that the two should cooperate less.
Before Jagland became prime minister in 1996, Kolberg had told Jagland that it was prudent for the two teams to separate, the book says.
“One night in 1995 we drove together from the Storting on our way home to Tranby, where we both lived. He was then head of the Labor Party secretariat at the Storting and I was the leader of the group. After refueling in Ramstadsletta, from He suddenly said, “I think it’s right that the two of us now separate teams. We have followed each other our whole lives. Generally, it’s wise for those things to end at some point. “
NRK has spoken with Martin Kolberg. He calls the accusations presented in the book incorrect:
– This is incorrect. Now I am working on my book and then I will tell how I perceived this. Then I come up with my version, Kolberg tells NRK.
Kolberg is not the only former party colleague mentioned in the new book. Jens Stoltenberg and the leadership dispute between him and Jagland are also mentioned.
Accuses Stoltenberg of foul play
“There have been many battles over the years over who should be the party leaders. But it has always been decided with the help of a nominating committee that presented its recommendation to the national assembly. Here, someone, in an apartment in Bislett, had appointed himself as a nominating committee and began the work of changing the leader anonymously with the help of the press, “writes Jagland in the book.”
In Stoltenberg’s 2016 bio, he admits that he worked systematically and held secret meetings to squeeze Jagland out.
Jens Stoltenberg does not wish to comment on Jagland’s book beyond what has been communicated through press contact:
– Jens Stoltenberg recounted his version of his time as a Norwegian politician and prime minister in his autobiography. You have nothing to add beyond this, Sissel Kruse Larsen, Jens Stoltenberg’s communications consultant, tells NRK.
