Knut Arild Hareide
Encyclopedia
Knut Arild Hareide is a Norwegian businessperson and the leader of the Christian Democratic Party. Hareide served as Minister of the Environment
from 2004 to 2005. Hareide received his share of criticism during this time; environmental press groups spoke out against him on numerous occasions, and even pressed legal charges following a controversial case.
Before his tenure as government minister, Hareide had sat through one term in the municipal council of his native Bømlo
, served as a deputy representative to the national parliament as well as working two years as a State Secretary
. He was also second deputy leader of his party from 2003 to 2007, having come through the ranks of the party's youth organization
. An economist by education, Hareide currently works for the media conglomerate Schibsted
. In 2007 he announced his stepping down from the national political scene for the time being, but he returned when announced as the top candidate for the Christian Democratic Party ticket in Akershus
in the 2009 election
. After Dagfinn Høybråten
stepped down as party leader, Hareide was unanimously elected to take his place at the 2011 party convention.
. He started his higher education in 1992, the same year he graduated from upper secondary school. Enrolled at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), he graduated in 1997 with a siv.øk.
degree. During his time at NHH, he also minored in sociology
(1995) at the University of Bergen
.
Hareide was active in student politics. His involvement included terms as a member of the student parliament
at the University of Bergen, as the leader of the Student Union of the Norwegian School of Economics 1994–1995, and as a board member of the national student union 1993–1994. During the period in student politics, Hareide held a Christian democratic middle ground between radical (such as later socialist politician Aslak Sira Myhre
) and conservative representatives, an experience he has described as educational.
, being a member of the national board 1999–2001 before joining the national board of the Christian Democratic Party. He worked as a political advisor in the Ministry of Church Affairs, Education and Research from 1998 to 2000, during the first cabinet Bondevik
. He later became State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance
from 2001 to 2003 during the second cabinet Bondevik
. In 2003 he became second deputy leader of the Christian Democratic Party nationwide.
He then joined the cabinet during a 2004 reshuffle, serving as the Norwegian Minister of the Environment
from summer 2004 to fall 2005. He was the youngest ever cabinet member from the Christian Democratic Party, and the first Christian Democratic to hold the post. The second cabinet Bondevik did not survive the 2005 elections
, and as such Hareide had to step down from office that year. His successor was Helen Bjørnøy
. Until 2009, Hareide had never been elected to the Norwegian Parliament, but served as a deputy representative during the terms 1997–2001, 2001–2005 and 2005–2009. On the local level of politics he was a member of Bømlo municipality council from 1991 to 1995.
In 2007 Hareide announced that he had left politics for the time being to pursue a career in the national media conglomerate Schibsted
, as an organizational director. His career in the company started with the position of trainee in 1997. Outside politics, his only paid full-time appointments have been in Schibsted. He still works behind the scenes for his party, occasionally commenting on issues in the national media. He did not rule out a return to national politics in the future, and in late 2008 he was selected by his party as the top candidate on the party's ticket in Akershus
county. The Christian Democratic Party formerly held a seat in this county, but lost it in 2005. Hareide has never lived in Akershus. Party leader Dagfinn Høybråten
hails from Akershus, but he runs on the Rogaland
ticket to secure a safe seat.
Prior to the 2009 election
, Hareide announced that he would leave national politics if he failed to win a parliament seat. Although the Christian Democrats suffered nationwide setbacks in 2009, Hareide managed to win Akershus' levelling seat after a close race against Dagfinn Sundsbø
of the Centre Party. In parliament, Hareide became the chair of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications
.
After Høybråten announced that he would not seek reelection as party leader of KrF, Hareide quickly emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Høybråten, after the two other apparent candidates, Dagrun Eriksen
and Hans Olav Syversen
, announced they would not run. Hareide is considered to belong to the socially liberal wing of the party, and conservative members of the party have demanded that at least one of the deputy leaders be from the party's conservative wing if they are to support Hareide. Hareide supported the efforts to eliminate the rule which requires Christian Democratic party representatives to declare a Christian faith, and a vote gave a clear majority to abolish that rule two years later. Hareide was unanimously voted in as new party leader at the 2011 convention on 30 April 2011. Hareide declined the nomination as parliamentary leader, and Hans Olav Syversen
was elected to this position.
Hareide received heavy criticism for the policy on large carnivores. A decision in early 2005, to uphold the ongoing wolf hunt even though a certain alpha
she-wolf Gråfjellstispa had mistakenly been shot in January that year, was met with protests from the national World Wildlife Fund chapter and other environment organizations, as well as the Swedish Minister of the Environment Lena Sommestad
and representatives from the European Union. Hareide described the event as "regrettable", but "not against the law". The case made headlines in BBC
and New Scientist
. A few weeks before, Hareide had been criticized in a parliamentary hearing session for being too wolf-friendly. The environmental organizations went as far as to press charges against the Ministry of the Environment. The Ministry was acquitted when the case was finally brought up in late 2006, some time after Hareide left office.
In July the same year, Hareide received further criticism as the number of licenses to kill large carnivores allegedly was not only at a record high (12 brown bears, 10 grey wolves, 22 wolverines and 13 lynx), but also contradictory to the parliamentary policy on the matter. According to Hareide, the actions were in line with the parliamentary stance on the issue.
In April 2005 he was criticized for an issue connected to monetary support of environmental projects and organizations. The Ministry approved a $90,000 project support for the Church of Norway
, while the pressure group Bellona
faced a cut of the same amount. Hareide, being a devout Christian and a member of the Church of Norway, was accused of putting his own religious interests ahead of environmental considerations. The case became a curiosity in the Norwegian media as some of the money was channelled into the church internet site, which, among other things, contained a set of prayers for earthworm
s – described in such odd terms as "the blind subterranean workers", "small sisters and brothers in the compost
" and "members of the subterranean congregation". Hareide responded to the criticism by describing the overall project as "exciting".
One of Hareide's last actions in office was to approve the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the Hatteberg watershed in Kvinnherad, a protected natural area. Most of the criticism went to his successor, Helen Bjørnøy
, who neglected to roll back the decision when assuming office. She eventually resigned halfway into her term.
During his time as Minister of the Environment, Hareide was parodied in the television comedy program Tre brødre som ikke er brødre
. The character Knut Arild Hareide, played by Harald Eia
, was portrayed in several sketches
as a physically weak person. These parodies were criticized by the authors in a 2005 book about different forms of mobbing
; this stirred a minor debate in the Norwegian media. Nonetheless, Hareide himself showed a video clip of one of the parodies when publicly announcing his stepdown from national politics at the 2007 party congress.
Although reluctant to comment on the issue, Hareide was likely single during his first tenure in national politics. He has been confronted with rumours of homosexuality by segments of the media, but these have been dismissed. In 2008 he was reported as having a relationship with Solveig Engevik from Kolbotn
, which ended in 2010. In the spring of 2011 he was confirmed in a relationship with school teacher Lisa Marie Larsen.
Minister of the Environment (Norway)
The Norwegian Minister of the Environment is the head of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of the Environment. The Ministry was established in 1972....
from 2004 to 2005. Hareide received his share of criticism during this time; environmental press groups spoke out against him on numerous occasions, and even pressed legal charges following a controversial case.
Before his tenure as government minister, Hareide had sat through one term in the municipal council of his native Bømlo
Bømlo
Bømlo is a municipality in Sunnhordland, in the southern part of the county of Hordaland, Norway. It is also the name of the main island of this archipelago, consisting of about 900 islets, located west of Stord....
, served as a deputy representative to the national parliament as well as working two years as a State Secretary
State Secretary (Norway)
In Norway, a State Secretary is a partisan political position within the executive branch of government. Contrary to the position Secretary of State in many other countries, the Norwegian State Secretary does not head his or her Ministry, rather, they are second in rank to a Minister...
. He was also second deputy leader of his party from 2003 to 2007, having come through the ranks of the party's youth organization
Youth of the Christian People's Party
The Young Christian Democrats is the youth league of Kristelig Folkeparti in Norway. The current leader of KrFU is Elisabeth Løland. They have approximately 2,000 members....
. An economist by education, Hareide currently works for the media conglomerate Schibsted
Schibsted
Schibsted is a Norwegian media conglomerate with operations in 20 countries, the most important being Norway and Sweden. The company has its headquarters in Oslo, Norway and is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange....
. In 2007 he announced his stepping down from the national political scene for the time being, but he returned when announced as the top candidate for the Christian Democratic Party ticket in Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
in the 2009 election
Norwegian parliamentary election, 2009
The 2009 parliamentary election was held in Norway on 14 September 2009. Elections in Norway are held on a Monday in September, usually the second or third Monday, as determined by the king. Early voting was possible between 10 August and 11 September 2009, while some municipalities held open...
. After Dagfinn Høybråten
Dagfinn Høybråten
Dagfinn Høybråten , is a Norwegian politician and the former leader of the Christian Democratic Party. He was the director of the National Insurance Administration from 1997 to 2004, but barely attended to the position because he was a government minister in Bondevik's First Cabinet from 1997 to...
stepped down as party leader, Hareide was unanimously elected to take his place at the 2011 party convention.
Education
Hareide was born in RubbestadnesetRubbestadneset
Rubbestadneset is a village in Bømlo municipality, Norway. Its population is 1,104. Wickman Diesel motors originate from Rubbestadneset.- Notable natives :* Finn Haldorsen , Businessman* Knut Arild Hareide , Politician...
. He started his higher education in 1992, the same year he graduated from upper secondary school. Enrolled at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), he graduated in 1997 with a siv.øk.
Siviløkonom
Siviløkonom is an academic degree issued within the field of business administration and economics and a professional title in Norway , obtained after 5 years of studies...
degree. During his time at NHH, he also minored in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
(1995) at the University of Bergen
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...
.
Hareide was active in student politics. His involvement included terms as a member of the student parliament
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
at the University of Bergen, as the leader of the Student Union of the Norwegian School of Economics 1994–1995, and as a board member of the national student union 1993–1994. During the period in student politics, Hareide held a Christian democratic middle ground between radical (such as later socialist politician Aslak Sira Myhre
Aslak Sira Myhre
Aslak Sira Myhre is a Norwegian politician and former party leader of Red Electoral Alliance . He currently is director of Litteraturhuset, part of Fritt Ord....
) and conservative representatives, an experience he has described as educational.
Career
Hareide was active in the Youth of the Christian People's PartyYouth of the Christian People's Party
The Young Christian Democrats is the youth league of Kristelig Folkeparti in Norway. The current leader of KrFU is Elisabeth Løland. They have approximately 2,000 members....
, being a member of the national board 1999–2001 before joining the national board of the Christian Democratic Party. He worked as a political advisor in the Ministry of Church Affairs, Education and Research from 1998 to 2000, during the first cabinet Bondevik
First cabinet Bondevik
Bondevik's First Cabinet governed Norway between 17 October 1997 to 3 March 2000. It was led by Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, and consisted of the Christian Democratic Party, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party. There was a major reshuffle in March 1999. It had the following...
. He later became State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance
Norwegian Ministry of Finance
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Finance is a Norwegian ministry established in 1814. The ministry is responsible for state finance, including the state budget, taxation and economic policy in Norway. It is led by Sigbjørn Johnsen...
from 2001 to 2003 during the second cabinet Bondevik
Second cabinet Bondevik
Bondevik's Second Cabinet governed Norway between 19 October 2001 and 17 October 2005. It was led by Kjell Magne Bondevik and consisted of the Conservative Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Liberal Party. It had the following composition:...
. In 2003 he became second deputy leader of the Christian Democratic Party nationwide.
He then joined the cabinet during a 2004 reshuffle, serving as the Norwegian Minister of the Environment
Minister of the Environment (Norway)
The Norwegian Minister of the Environment is the head of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of the Environment. The Ministry was established in 1972....
from summer 2004 to fall 2005. He was the youngest ever cabinet member from the Christian Democratic Party, and the first Christian Democratic to hold the post. The second cabinet Bondevik did not survive the 2005 elections
Norwegian parliamentary election, 2005
Parliamentary elections were held in Norway on 12 September 2005. More than 3.4 million Norwegians were eligible for vote for the Storting, the parliament of Norway. The new Storting has 169 members, an increase of four over the 2001 election....
, and as such Hareide had to step down from office that year. His successor was Helen Bjørnøy
Helen Bjørnøy
Helen Oddveig Bjørnøy is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . From October 2005 to October 2007, she was Minister of the Environment in the Red-Green Coalition cabinet headed by Jens Stoltenberg...
. Until 2009, Hareide had never been elected to the Norwegian Parliament, but served as a deputy representative during the terms 1997–2001, 2001–2005 and 2005–2009. On the local level of politics he was a member of Bømlo municipality council from 1991 to 1995.
In 2007 Hareide announced that he had left politics for the time being to pursue a career in the national media conglomerate Schibsted
Schibsted
Schibsted is a Norwegian media conglomerate with operations in 20 countries, the most important being Norway and Sweden. The company has its headquarters in Oslo, Norway and is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange....
, as an organizational director. His career in the company started with the position of trainee in 1997. Outside politics, his only paid full-time appointments have been in Schibsted. He still works behind the scenes for his party, occasionally commenting on issues in the national media. He did not rule out a return to national politics in the future, and in late 2008 he was selected by his party as the top candidate on the party's ticket in Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
county. The Christian Democratic Party formerly held a seat in this county, but lost it in 2005. Hareide has never lived in Akershus. Party leader Dagfinn Høybråten
Dagfinn Høybråten
Dagfinn Høybråten , is a Norwegian politician and the former leader of the Christian Democratic Party. He was the director of the National Insurance Administration from 1997 to 2004, but barely attended to the position because he was a government minister in Bondevik's First Cabinet from 1997 to...
hails from Akershus, but he runs on the Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
ticket to secure a safe seat.
Prior to the 2009 election
Norwegian parliamentary election, 2009
The 2009 parliamentary election was held in Norway on 14 September 2009. Elections in Norway are held on a Monday in September, usually the second or third Monday, as determined by the king. Early voting was possible between 10 August and 11 September 2009, while some municipalities held open...
, Hareide announced that he would leave national politics if he failed to win a parliament seat. Although the Christian Democrats suffered nationwide setbacks in 2009, Hareide managed to win Akershus' levelling seat after a close race against Dagfinn Sundsbø
Dagfinn Sundsbø
Dagfinn Sundsbø is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party.He served in the position of deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus during the terms 1993–1997, 1997–2001, 2001–2005 and 2005–2009...
of the Centre Party. In parliament, Hareide became the chair of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications
Standing Committee on Transport and Communications
The Standing Committee on Transport and Communications is a standing committee of the Parliament of Norway. It is responsible for policies relating to transport, postal services, telecommunications, electronic communication and the responsibilities of the Norwegian National Coastal Administration...
.
After Høybråten announced that he would not seek reelection as party leader of KrF, Hareide quickly emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Høybråten, after the two other apparent candidates, Dagrun Eriksen
Dagrun Eriksen
Dagrun Eriksen is a Norwegian politician for the Christian People's Party .She was elected into the Norwegian parliament from the county of Vest-Agder in 2001...
and Hans Olav Syversen
Hans Olav Syversen
Hans Olav Syversen is a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Oslo in 2005...
, announced they would not run. Hareide is considered to belong to the socially liberal wing of the party, and conservative members of the party have demanded that at least one of the deputy leaders be from the party's conservative wing if they are to support Hareide. Hareide supported the efforts to eliminate the rule which requires Christian Democratic party representatives to declare a Christian faith, and a vote gave a clear majority to abolish that rule two years later. Hareide was unanimously voted in as new party leader at the 2011 convention on 30 April 2011. Hareide declined the nomination as parliamentary leader, and Hans Olav Syversen
Hans Olav Syversen
Hans Olav Syversen is a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Oslo in 2005...
was elected to this position.
Reception and issues
Following the 11th United Nations Climate Change Convention in Buenos Aires in December 2004, Hareide spoke out against the United States and China, whom he saw as "problems" in the international work against climate change. Hareide gained a fair level of praise for his role in the convention, from both his own party as well as political opponents.Hareide received heavy criticism for the policy on large carnivores. A decision in early 2005, to uphold the ongoing wolf hunt even though a certain alpha
Alpha (biology)
In social animals, the alpha is the individual in the community with the highest rank. Where one male and one female fulfill this role, they are referred to as the alpha pair...
she-wolf Gråfjellstispa had mistakenly been shot in January that year, was met with protests from the national World Wildlife Fund chapter and other environment organizations, as well as the Swedish Minister of the Environment Lena Sommestad
Lena Sommestad
Lena Sommestad, born April 3, 1957 in Börje, Uppsala Municipality, is a Swedish Social Democratic politician. She was Minister for the Environment in the Ministry of Sustainable Development in the Cabinet of Göran Persson 2002-2006....
and representatives from the European Union. Hareide described the event as "regrettable", but "not against the law". The case made headlines in BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and New Scientist
New Scientist
New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
. A few weeks before, Hareide had been criticized in a parliamentary hearing session for being too wolf-friendly. The environmental organizations went as far as to press charges against the Ministry of the Environment. The Ministry was acquitted when the case was finally brought up in late 2006, some time after Hareide left office.
In July the same year, Hareide received further criticism as the number of licenses to kill large carnivores allegedly was not only at a record high (12 brown bears, 10 grey wolves, 22 wolverines and 13 lynx), but also contradictory to the parliamentary policy on the matter. According to Hareide, the actions were in line with the parliamentary stance on the issue.
In April 2005 he was criticized for an issue connected to monetary support of environmental projects and organizations. The Ministry approved a $90,000 project support for the Church of Norway
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
, while the pressure group Bellona
Bellona Foundation
The Bellona Foundation is a multi-disciplinary international environmental NGO based in Oslo, Norway. Founded in 1986 by Frederic Hauge and Rune Haaland as a direct action protest group, it has since blossomed into a recognized technology and solution-oriented environmental champion with offices on...
faced a cut of the same amount. Hareide, being a devout Christian and a member of the Church of Norway, was accused of putting his own religious interests ahead of environmental considerations. The case became a curiosity in the Norwegian media as some of the money was channelled into the church internet site, which, among other things, contained a set of prayers for earthworm
Earthworm
Earthworm is the common name for the largest members of Oligochaeta in the phylum Annelida. In classical systems they were placed in the order Opisthopora, on the basis of the male pores opening posterior to the female pores, even though the internal male segments are anterior to the female...
s – described in such odd terms as "the blind subterranean workers", "small sisters and brothers in the compost
Compost
Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At its most essential, the process of composting requires simply piling up waste outdoors and waiting for the materials to break down from anywhere...
" and "members of the subterranean congregation". Hareide responded to the criticism by describing the overall project as "exciting".
One of Hareide's last actions in office was to approve the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the Hatteberg watershed in Kvinnherad, a protected natural area. Most of the criticism went to his successor, Helen Bjørnøy
Helen Bjørnøy
Helen Oddveig Bjørnøy is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . From October 2005 to October 2007, she was Minister of the Environment in the Red-Green Coalition cabinet headed by Jens Stoltenberg...
, who neglected to roll back the decision when assuming office. She eventually resigned halfway into her term.
During his time as Minister of the Environment, Hareide was parodied in the television comedy program Tre brødre som ikke er brødre
Tre brødre som ikke er brødre
Tre brødre som ikke er brødre is a Norwegian comedy television show which ran for six episodes during the autumn of 2005 on the Norwegian state channel NRK. It featured noted comedians Harald Eia, Bård Tufte Johansen and Atle Antonsen....
. The character Knut Arild Hareide, played by Harald Eia
Harald Eia
Harald Meldal Eia is a Norwegian comedian.-Career:Together with Bård Tufte Johansen, he has been author of, and participated in, several successful Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation comedy TV series, such as Lille Lørdag , Åpen Post , Uti vår hage , Team Antonsen , Tre brødre som ikke er brødre ,...
, was portrayed in several sketches
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
as a physically weak person. These parodies were criticized by the authors in a 2005 book about different forms of mobbing
Mobbing
Mobbing in the context of human beings either means bullying of an individual by a group in any context. Identified as emotional abuse in the workplace, such as "ganging up" by co-workers, subordinates or superiors, to force someone out of the workplace through rumor, innuendo, intimidation,...
; this stirred a minor debate in the Norwegian media. Nonetheless, Hareide himself showed a video clip of one of the parodies when publicly announcing his stepdown from national politics at the 2007 party congress.
Personal life
Hareide comes from a middle class background, his father being a transportation manager and his mother a consultant.Although reluctant to comment on the issue, Hareide was likely single during his first tenure in national politics. He has been confronted with rumours of homosexuality by segments of the media, but these have been dismissed. In 2008 he was reported as having a relationship with Solveig Engevik from Kolbotn
Kolbotn
Kolbotn is the centre of Oppegård, Norway. The population is about 6,000.Kolbotn has several elementary schools, four middle schools and a high school.The Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone formed there in 1986....
, which ended in 2010. In the spring of 2011 he was confirmed in a relationship with school teacher Lisa Marie Larsen.