– Right to speak up

The short version

• Vestby Høyre has filed a notice against mayor Tom Anders Ludvigsen (Ap) after an incident in March with Åshild Fagerjord, group leader in Vestby Høyre.
• Several people witnessed the incident after a debate in the municipal council. One describes Ludvigsen allegedly holding Fagerjord and giving her a “smack kiss” on the head.
• Ludvigsen has apologized for the incident. VG has submitted this case to Ludvigsen and tried to get his version since Friday afternoon, but he has not answered VG’s inquiries.

View more

– I found his behavior so inappropriate that I thought it was right to speak up, says Åshild Fagerjord to VG.

The incident occurred in connection with a meeting of the municipal council on 18 March. Fagerjord says that Ludvigsen approached her after a debate. Ludvigsen has apologized for the incident.

There were several witnesses to the incident, including group leader Karen Moe Møllerop in the Green Party.

– We stood outside in the hallway. The mayor came out into the hall and wanted to talk to Fagerjord. There had been a heated debate between the two in the council chamber, says Møllerop.

She says that eventually they had to go back into the hall.

– Then the mayor takes a good hold of Åshild and pulls her in to him, in a sort of comradely way. He holds her tight and gives her a real smack on the head, says Møllerup.

VG has submitted this case to Ludvigsen and tried to get his version since Friday afternoon, but he has not answered VG’s repeated inquiries. Vestby Newspaper mentioned the matter first.

Regretted

Karen Moe Møllerop in the Green Party says she should react.

– I was put out and was a little perplexed. I knew right away that I thought this was not right. Afterwards, I regretted not saying something then and there. I should have said that this is not okay and that it is not something you do.

But afterwards she told Fagerjord her reaction.

– I told Åshild that “you just don’t do that”. I gave her support and sympathy.

Fagerjord says she thought a lot about whether she should report the matter and eventually did so.

She contacted the local team leader in Vestby Høyre. Contact was made with Ap locally, with Akershus Ap.

The matter was also informed about to Høyre and Labor centrally.

– In meetings and telephone conversations with representatives of Vestby Ap and Akershus Ap, I was notified and told about what happened, says Fagerjord.

– I was told that the mayor apologizes for stepping over my boundaries and that he is aware that it will not happen again.

– Have you received any conclusion from Ap in the notice you sent?

– No, I haven’t, says Fagerjord.

Confirms notification

Leader of Vestby Høyre, Jens Trondsen, expects Ap to follow up on the matter.

– I can confirm that a notification has been sent about an incident at Vestby town hall involving the mayor and our group leader. The notice has, in consultation with our own party organisation, been conveyed to Ap, both at national and local level. We have assumed that Ap follows up on this in a good way, and processes it according to its own guidelines, says Trondsen.

Fagerjord was the Conservative mayoral candidate in the municipal elections this autumn and lost the battle against Ludvigsen.

She sees that her warning can be interpreted as thanks for the last.

– I see it, but those who think that you want to become mayor in this way need to think again. I came to the conclusion that it was right to speak up.

– Taken seriously

Ap’s party secretary, Kjersti Stenseng, refers to Akershus Ap to answer this matter.

County secretary Elisabeth Fanghol in Akershus Ap says they have prioritized this matter.

– We have taken this episode seriously since we were called about it. It has been followed up with talks first with the Conservative group leader and later with our mayor. The mayor has then apologized and said that it will not happen again, and this has been communicated both verbally and in writing to Fagerjord.

She adds:

– It is important for us to emphasize that unwanted behavior is not okay, and follow it up so that it does not happen again.

She has not answered whether that means they consider the case to have been dealt with.

Solberg gives support to Fagerjord

Conservative leader Erna Solberg has been informed about the case.

– Politics must be a safe place for everyone. It is important that anyone who experiences unpleasant or inappropriate incidents speak up, as Åshild does here. We in the Conservative Party have been informed of the notice, and now it is up to the Labor Party to handle it, says the Conservative Party leader.

tip us

Do you have any tips for this matter?

Send us information, photos or video

tip us