Kåre Kristiansen
Encyclopedia
Kåre Gudbrand Kristiansen (11 March 1920 – 3 December 2005) was a Norwegian
politician
active in the Christian People's Party. Noted as a conservative within his own party, he was known to take controversial positions at odds with the prevailing consensus.
Kristiansen was born in Bergen
, the son of a lay preacher. Both his parents were active in The Salvation Army
. He started his professional life as a telegraph
operator in the Norwegian railroad system, where he rose through the ranks. A devout Christian all his life, he became politically active in his home community of Nesodden
in 1951. He was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Social Affairs
in 1965 and served in this capacity until 1968. He was elected to Storting, first as a deputy member in 1969 and as a full member from 1973 to 1977 and 1981 to 1989. He was chairman in the parliamentary foreign affairs committee from 1981 to 1983 and Minister of Petroleum and Energy
from 1983 to 1986.
He served as chairman for the Christian People's Party from 1975 to 1977 and 1979 to 1983. As a result of an internal dispute about how to cooperate with the Conservative Party, he resigned from the chair of his party and instead became parliamentary leader.
He stepped down from national politics in 1989 in protest against what he perceived as a change in course in the party's policy, but he remained politically active all his life, among other things by rejoining the municipal council of Nesodden, where he had started his political career.
Kristiansen stood his ground on a number of political issues, and his prominence within his party and in politics in general varied accordingly. He was a proponent of Norwegian membership in the European Union
, advocated strong collaborative efforts with the Conservative Party and even the Norwegian Progress Party
. He was an ardent supporter of the State of Israel
, and in 1994 he resigned from the Norwegian Nobel Committee
in protest over the award of the prize to Yasser Arafat
, whom he labeled "world's most prominent terrorist". He opposed Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
from the Gaza Strip
, to the point of refusing an invitation to join in an event that also featured moderate Israeli politician and chief rabbi of Norway, Michael Melchior
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
active in the Christian People's Party. Noted as a conservative within his own party, he was known to take controversial positions at odds with the prevailing consensus.
Kristiansen was born in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, the son of a lay preacher. Both his parents were active in The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
. He started his professional life as a telegraph
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
operator in the Norwegian railroad system, where he rose through the ranks. A devout Christian all his life, he became politically active in his home community of Nesodden
Nesodden
Nesodden is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Follo. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Nesoddtangen. The parish of Næsodden was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
in 1951. He was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Social Affairs
Norwegian Ministry of Labour
The Norwegian Ministry of Labour was a Norwegian ministry which was established on 1 September 1885 and was disestablished on 22 February 1946...
in 1965 and served in this capacity until 1968. He was elected to Storting, first as a deputy member in 1969 and as a full member from 1973 to 1977 and 1981 to 1989. He was chairman in the parliamentary foreign affairs committee from 1981 to 1983 and Minister of Petroleum and Energy
Minister of Petroleum and Energy (Norway)
The Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy is the head of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.- Councillor of State and Chief of the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy 1978 – 1992 :...
from 1983 to 1986.
He served as chairman for the Christian People's Party from 1975 to 1977 and 1979 to 1983. As a result of an internal dispute about how to cooperate with the Conservative Party, he resigned from the chair of his party and instead became parliamentary leader.
He stepped down from national politics in 1989 in protest against what he perceived as a change in course in the party's policy, but he remained politically active all his life, among other things by rejoining the municipal council of Nesodden, where he had started his political career.
Kristiansen stood his ground on a number of political issues, and his prominence within his party and in politics in general varied accordingly. He was a proponent of Norwegian membership in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, advocated strong collaborative efforts with the Conservative Party and even the Norwegian Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
. He was an ardent supporter of the State of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and in 1994 he resigned from the Norwegian Nobel Committee
Norwegian Nobel Committee
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awards the Nobel Peace Prize each year.Its five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament and roughly represent the political makeup of that body.-History:...
in protest over the award of the prize to Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
, whom he labeled "world's most prominent terrorist". He opposed Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from...
from the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, to the point of refusing an invitation to join in an event that also featured moderate Israeli politician and chief rabbi of Norway, Michael Melchior
Michael Melchior
A renowned Jewish leader, thinker and activist, Rabbi Michael Melchior is a leading advocate for social justice in Israel, quality education for all, Jewish-Arab reconciliation and co-existence, protection of the environment, Israel-Diaspora relations and the strengthening of Civic Society as a...
.