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It was during Raymond Johansen’s crown press conference on February 9 that the city council leader said Oslo was approaching breaking point when it came to crown measures.
He then went to court with the government, which following the outbreak of the mutant virus in Nordre Follo had introduced regional measures that also included Oslo.
Johansen’s statements made headlines in the media and Dagbladet is aware that there were also strong reactions in the government.
– In 2021, the government took over and introduced a complex tier system and calls for various municipalities in Norway. We have understood that there has been a need for some short-term regional action packages. But starting next week, Oslo must regain control of our own measures, Johansen said, continuing:
– I’ll make it clear to the government. And I think the government will understand that very well.
– Damn unfair
Raymond Johansen then emphasized how important it is for the Oslo political leadership to decide on the measures.
– Why is it so important? Is it so dangerous who decides what in the fight against the pandemic? Yes, it really is. Those of us who govern Oslo must be able to assess the entire situation in our city. We must be able to use all the knowledge we have. We must be allowed to face the crisis in a democratic way, drawing on local knowledge.
Requested “void”
What Raymond Johansen did not say at the press conference was that he himself, shortly before the press conference, had asked to be part of the regional measures for one more week.
It shows text messages between Raymond Johansen and Health Minister Bent Høie, which Dagbladet has had access to.
Less than two hours before the press conference, at 1:12 p.m., Johansen sent the following text message to Bent Høie:
Hello, I have a press conference at 3. It will also be clear that we want to have municipal regulations and recommendations after the current ring system expires. Of course, in close contact with you and with FHI. Greetings Raymond »
Bent Høie responded immediately:
“Hello! Ok, but did I understand correctly that you wanted to be part of the national regulations for another week?”
And to the question, Johansen answered affirmatively:
“We are prepared to follow the recommendation to be in group 5c one more week. Our people responded to the governor.”
The response to the state administrator, which Johansen refers to, was given at a meeting the night before organized by the state administrator in Oslo and Viken for the municipalities affected by the ring measures.
Alto: – Could have asked to leave
Bent Høie confirms to Dagbladet that Oslo could request at any time to take control and not be bound by the coordinated measures that were put in place to kill the mutant virus.
– Oslo could have asked for three out of the scheme, and then their evaluations would have carried great weight. However, all municipalities agreed on the need for continued joint regulation, so there were never any topical issues, Høie writes in an email to Dagbladet.
The Health Minister admits that Johansen’s clear tone also amazed him, all the time that Oslo had only wanted to remain part of the same national measures that Johansen yearned for.
– I was surprised by what Raymond Johansen said at the press conference, in the sense that Oslo itself had wanted to be part of the national measures. I also passed it on directly to him.
Dagbladet has asked Raymond Johansen a series of questions and the impression he made at the press conference and about a comment that Oslo itself wanted to be part of the measures.
– We are not involved in another conflict created by the media between Raymond and Bent Høie around this, is the response of the City Council secretary, Halvard Hølleland, who refers to an interview that Raymond Johansen has given to VG.
Helgheim probably a tip candidate in Oslo
Raymond: “knocked him down”
But Raymond Johansen didn’t just want to control the measures in Oslo when he opened the press conference on February 9.
He also wanted relief, which he couldn’t do due to regional measures.
– A key question in the coming weeks is how much infection can we live with? Should we almost drop to zero before we can soften some measures? No, on the part of Oslo, that way of thinking is irrelevant. We see very well that the burden of action is too heavy. That people have lived long enough in a closed city. I am sincerely concerned that Oslo is approaching a breaking point, Johansen said.
Bent Høie reacted strongly to Johansen’s statements at the press conference and wrote a new text message as soon as he finished:
“I was amazed at the confrontational way in which you presented the fact that you yourself have wanted to be part of the national system. It is also not the case that neither the government nor HDIR only care about infection, but do not consider proportionality. You know the uncertain situation you find yourself in and Robert Steen’s post described it well. “
Raymond Johansen responded by saying that he “removed this” and refers to criticism of Oslo’s conservative leader Heidi Nordby Lunde’s handling of the crown of the city council:
“I didn’t find this confrontation at all. Robert and I distributed the task as best we could. I also took this to the extent that someone needed to provoke a confrontation between us. Something that the leader of the Oslo Conservatives party wants. Absolutely creepy accusations of Monday “.
– Travelers hair
Heidi Nordby Lunde believes the text messages are eye-opening for City Councilor Raymond Johansen:
– The text messages confirm what I said about Johansen being more concerned with countering Bent Høie and going strong against the action charge. Although they both obviously wanted to be a part of it, and it also continues when the city council itself receives responsibility, writes Nordby Lunde in a text message.
The Conservative leader from Oslo also reacts to Raymond Johansen by referring to his remarks as creepy in Bent Høie’s text message.
– Creepy accusations? I can cover them all, and I like to repeat:
- The Oslo City Council did not have enough testing capacity after the summer when a new wave of infections was announced and it had to grudgingly enter into agreements with private healthcare providers to increase capacity.
- Weeks later, Johansen was more concerned about what he should NOT do with the measures in Oslo, so the city had to be closed soon after.
- While infection rates have skyrocketed in eastern districts among the population groups of Pakistan, Somalia, and Iraq, Johansen has been responsible for imported infections from Eastern Europe.
– Rather, Raymond Johansen’s tone is creepy, concludes Nordby Lunde.
