Norwegian Government Accused of Election Misinformation
Norwegian officials face accusations of spreading election misinformation after making campaign promises they knew would be broken. The former free speech commissioner calls it a breach of public trust. Government ministers have since apologized for their statements.
Former free speech commissioner Kjersti Løken Stavrum says government officials spread misinformation during recent elections. She claims Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and other ministers made promises they knew would be broken.
Stavrum led Norway's official Freedom of Expression Commission from 2020 to 2022. She told reporters the statements were deliberately misleading. The officials wanted to influence voters against supporting conservative parties, she said.
Internal documents show the government decided to remove free ferry services five days before parliamentary elections. Despite this decision, Støre promised a local newspaper the free ferries would continue.
The same week, the Labor Party published a campaign video on social media. Minister Jan Christian Vestre told voters that conservative parties would remove popular benefits. He mentioned free ferries and student loan forgiveness programs.
Government officials made these claims while knowing the upcoming national budget would eliminate both programs. The budget proposal confirmed the removal of free ferries and major reductions to student debt relief.
On Friday morning, a webpage claiming the government had introduced free ferries was removed from the Labor Party's website. The party's communications director confirmed the deletion.
Stavrum's commission delivered its report on misinformation to the Støre government in 2022. The report concluded that misinformation discovered in other countries should concern Norway too.
In June this year, the same government presented a strategy to strengthen public resistance against misinformation and fake news. The Culture Minister wrote that the government must ensure misinformation doesn't damage public debate.
The government's own strategy defines misinformation as false or misleading information spread intentionally to influence recipients. It notes misinformation can displace other information and weaken trust in news media, politicians, and institutions.
Stavrum calls the ministers' statements a breach of trust. Many people worry about foreign powers undermining trust in politicians and democracy, she said. These statements remind us that misinformation comes in many forms, including from people we know and trust.
This situation shows why responsible media matters. Journalists must understand when to cast critical light on such claims, Stavrum added.
After this story broke, both Støre and Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum spoke to reporters. They apologized for their campaign statements and asked for forgiveness.
The incident raises questions about political accountability during election periods. Voters expect campaign promises to reflect genuine intentions, not tactics to secure votes.