Mette Hanekamhaug
Encyclopedia
Mette Hanekamhaug is a Norwegian
politician for the Progress Party
. In the 2009 parliamentary election
, she was the youngest person to be elected to the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget). Hanekamhaug represents the county
of Møre og Romsdal
.
, Hanekamhaug started working towards a bachelor's degree at the Norwegian School of Management
in 2008. She has been involved in politics since 2004, when she became chairman of the local youth wing of the Progress Party (Youth of the Progress Party
). Both her parents are active in the party, her mother as a county council
representative, her father as a member of the municipal council. She went on to become chairman of the county youth organisation in 2005, and a member of the county council in 2007. From 2007 to 2008, she also worked as a trainee for the central organisation of the party, in the role of personal assistant to party leader Siv Jensen
. In 2010 Hanekamhaug decided to become active in the youth organization, and took the role as first deputy chairman.
in parliament, and as such was at first somewhat precarious. It was reported on 21 September that her seat had been lost, though later the same day it became clear that this information was due to a data entry error. Final results were released on 24 September, confirming Hanekamhaug's seat.
to the sexual predator known as "The Pocket Man
", intended as a criticism of the government's fiscal policies. She later apologised for this statement. She was also ridiculed for an interview where she allegedly stated that she did not consider books to be culture, which she later claimed to have said that she did not consider reading books a cultural experience, and that she had a great interest in Norwegian literature
. Hanekamhaug is particularly involved in educational politics and issues of road safety and infrastructure. She has mentioned among her political idols United States President
Barack Obama
, British
Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
, and Norwegian Progress Party politician Carl I. Hagen
.
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 for the 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...
. In the 2009 parliamentary 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...
, she was the youngest person to be elected to the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget). Hanekamhaug represents the county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
of Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
.
Background
After finishing secondary school in MoldeMolde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
, Hanekamhaug started working towards a bachelor's degree at the Norwegian School of Management
Norwegian School of Management
BI Norwegian Business School former name BI Norwegian School of Management is the largest business school in Norway and the second largest in all of Europe. BI has in total 6 campuses with the main one located in Oslo.-History:...
in 2008. She has been involved in politics since 2004, when she became chairman of the local youth wing of the Progress Party (Youth of the Progress Party
Youth of the Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party’s Youth , is the youth wing of the Norwegian political party the Progress Party. It is generally more libertarian than the Progress Party itself, both with regards to economics and politics in general...
). Both her parents are active in the party, her mother as a county council
County council (Norway)
A County Council is the highest governing body of the county municipalities in Norway. The county council sets the scope of the county municipal activity. The council is led by a chairman or county mayor...
representative, her father as a member of the municipal council. She went on to become chairman of the county youth organisation in 2005, and a member of the county council in 2007. From 2007 to 2008, she also worked as a trainee for the central organisation of the party, in the role of personal assistant to party leader Siv Jensen
Siv Jensen
Siv Jensen is a Norwegian conservative-liberal politician, and the current leader of the Progress Party. She was the Progress Party's candidate for Prime Minister in the 2009 parliamentary election.-Early and personal life:...
. In 2010 Hanekamhaug decided to become active in the youth organization, and took the role as first deputy chairman.
Parliament
Hanekamhaug was nominated as the Progress Party's third candidate from Møre og Romsdal in the 2009 parliamentary election, and was elected because of good results for her party in that part of Norway. At 22 years, she became the youngest representative in the assembly. Her seat, however, was the final leveling seatLeveling seat
Leveling seats are a mechanism employed in Norwegian elections to the national legislature, the Storting, and in Swedish elections to national and regional assemblies, to ensure proportional representation both by county and political party...
in parliament, and as such was at first somewhat precarious. It was reported on 21 September that her seat had been lost, though later the same day it became clear that this information was due to a data entry error. Final results were released on 24 September, confirming Hanekamhaug's seat.
Views and issues
Hanekamhaug received some negative attention for a remark she made at a school debate, comparing Prime Minister Jens StoltenbergJens Stoltenberg
is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
to the sexual predator known as "The Pocket Man
The Pocket Man
"The Pocket Man" is the name given by the Norwegian police and media to a Norwegian sexual molester. The man who has been at large since 1976, has been charged with committing sex crimes against minors throughout Southern Norway...
", intended as a criticism of the government's fiscal policies. She later apologised for this statement. She was also ridiculed for an interview where she allegedly stated that she did not consider books to be culture, which she later claimed to have said that she did not consider reading books a cultural experience, and that she had a great interest in Norwegian literature
Norwegian literature
Norwegian literature is literature composed in Norway or by Norwegian people. The history of Norwegian literature starts with the pagan Eddaic poems and skaldic verse of the 9th and 10th centuries with poets such as Bragi Boddason and Eyvindr Skáldaspillir...
. Hanekamhaug is particularly involved in educational politics and issues of road safety and infrastructure. She has mentioned among her political idols United States President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, and Norwegian Progress Party politician Carl I. Hagen
Carl I. Hagen
Carl Ivar Hagen is a Norwegian politician and former Vice President of the Norwegian Parliament. He was the chairman of the Progress Party from 1978 until 2006, when Siv Jensen replaced him as chairman of the party...
.