2008 in Norway
Overview
- Monarch - Harald V of NorwayHarald V of NorwayHarald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
- Prime MinisterPrime Minister of NorwayThe Prime Minister of Norway is the political leader of Norway and the Head of His Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Stortinget , to their political party, and ultimately the...
- Jens StoltenbergJens Stoltenbergis 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....
(Norwegian Labour PartyNorwegian Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
)
- January 1 – The Agency for Public Management and eGovernmentAgency for Public Management and eGovernmentThe Agency for Public Management and eGovernment or DIFI is a government agency subordinate the Norwegian Ministry of Government Administration and Reform.-Responsibilities:...
is established. - January 1 – Nordic BattlegroupNordic BattlegroupThe Nordic Battlegroup is one of eighteen European Union battlegroups. It consists of around 2,200 soldiers including officers, with manpower contributed from the five participating countries...
consisting of military forces from SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Norway, IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, and EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
under the control of the European UnionEuropean UnionThe 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...
, is established. - January 1 – MercuryMercury (element)Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
becomes banned from use in Norway. - January 11 – Norwegian policeNorwegian Police ServiceThe Norwegian Police Service is the official police force in Norway which are run by the Minister of Justice and Police. The department consists of 27 regional areas and seven national special forces. The department has about 11,000 employees....
announce that they have arrested a 55-year old man suspected of being the sexual predator known as The Pocket ManThe 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...
. - January 21 – The OBX IndexOBX IndexThe OBX Index is a stock market index which lists the 25 most liquid companies on the main index of the Oslo Stock Exchange in Norway. All stocks on the OBX list can be traded with options and futures...
drops 6.4%, then the second biggest fall since August 1991 and the third largest in its history. - February 5 – The Standing Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional AffairsStanding Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional AffairsThe Standing Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs is a standing committee of the Parliament of Norway. It is holds a supervisory role in relation to the proceedings of the parliament and public sector. The committee has 11 members and is chaired by Anders Anundsen of the Centre.From...
opens the case to decide whether three Supreme Court JusticesSupreme Court of NorwayThe Supreme Court of Norway was established in 1815 on the basis of the Constitution of Norway's §88, prescribing an independent judiciary. It is located in Oslo and is Norway's highest court...
will be impeachedImpeachmentImpeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
over their involvement in the Fritz MoenFritz MoenFritz Yngvar Moen was a Norwegian man wrongfully convicted for two distinct felony murders, serving a total of 18 years in prison...
wrongful convictionMiscarriage of justiceA miscarriage of justice primarily is the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. The term can also apply to errors in the other direction—"errors of impunity", and to civil cases. Most criminal justice systems have some means to overturn, or "quash", a wrongful...
. - February 14 – A political case centering on Manuela Ramin-OsmundsenManuela Ramin-OsmundsenManuela Myriam Henri Ramin-Osmundsen is a Norwegian politician belonging to the Norwegian Labour Party. Born in the French overseas department Martinique, she was appointed as Minister of Children and Equality Affairs in the second cabinet Stoltenberg on 18 October 2007, becoming the first...
forces her to resign from her post as Minister of Children and EqualityMinister of Children and Equality (Norway)The Norwegian Minister of Children and Equality is the head of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Children and Equality. Before 2006 the title was Minister of Children and Family Affairs and before 1990 Minister of Children and Consumer Affairs....
and Ida Hjort KrabyIda Hjort KrabyIda Hjort Kraby is a Norwegian jurist.The daughter of Pål Kraby, Ida Hjort Kraby graduated from the University of Oslo as cand.jur. in 1988. She had worked as a research assistant there from 1986 to 1987, and was hired as a consultant in the Ministry of Justice and the Police in 1988...
to resign from her newly appointed position as Ombudsman for Children in Norway. - February 21 – An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scaleRichter magnitude scaleThe expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
hits SvalbardSvalbardSvalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
, the strongest earthquake ever to hit Norway. - February 23 – The 8 km Eiksund TunnelEiksund TunnelThe Eiksund tunnel is an undersea tunnel between the municipalities of Ørsta and Ulstein in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The Eiksund Bridge joins Hareidlandet island and the village of Eiksund with the nearby island Eika. The Eiksund Tunnel begins at the south end of the bridge and connects...
near VoldaVoldaVolda is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Volda. The municipality is located about south of the city of Ålesund.-General information:...
in Møre og RomsdalMøre og Romsdalis 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:...
is opened. - February 26 – The Svalbard Global Seed VaultSvalbard Global Seed VaultThe Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure seedbank located on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen near the town of Longyearbyen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago, about from the North Pole. The facility preserves a wide variety of plant seeds in an underground cavern. The seeds are...
is officially opened. - February 29 – Anniken HuitfeldtAnniken HuitfeldtAnniken Scharning Huitfeldt is a Norwegian politician representing the Norwegian Labour Party. She currently serves as the Norwegian Minister of Culture in the Second cabinet Stoltenberg.-Life:...
is appointed Minister of Children and EqualityMinister of Children and Equality (Norway)The Norwegian Minister of Children and Equality is the head of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Children and Equality. Before 2006 the title was Minister of Children and Family Affairs and before 1990 Minister of Children and Consumer Affairs....
. - February – Former Prime Minister Gro Harlem BrundtlandGro Harlem BrundtlandGro Harlem Brundtland is a Norwegian Social democratic politician, diplomat, and physician, and an international leader in sustainable development and public health. She served three terms as Prime Minister of Norway , and has served as the Director General of the World Health Organization...
is entangled in a political scandal over cancer treatments paid for by the Norwegian state, which she was not entitled to having previously changed her residency abroad. - March 1 – Austrian Matthias LanzingerMatthias LanzingerMatthias Lanzinger is an Austrian former Alpine skier.In 2000 he was the Junior World Champion. Winning the European cup last season, he finished third in the Super-G World Cup at Beaver Creek on December 1, 2005...
collides with a gate during a World CupAlpine skiing World CupThe FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
Super-G run at KvitfjellKvitfjellKvitfjell is a ski resort in the municipality of Ringebu, Norway. Kvitfjell is one of the most modern resorts in the world, with 85% of the alpine skiing pistes covered in artificial snow. Based near the river Gudbrandsdalslågen, the resort offers 23 pistes: 5 green , 9 blue , 6 red , and 3 black...
, resulting in injuries that lead to his left leg being amputatedAmputationAmputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
below the knee two days later. - June 11 – Norway legalises same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage in NorwaySame-sex marriage became legal in Norway on January 1, 2009 when a gender neutral marriage bill was enacted after being passed by the Norwegian legislature in June 2008...
. - September – 2008 psychic phone call controversy: it was revealed that the Norwegian politician Saera KhanSaera KhanSaera Tithi Khan is a Bangladeshi-Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Oslo in 2005. She had previously served as a deputy representative during the term 2001–2005...
had racked up extremely high phone bills using the mobile phone with which she was provided for free by the Parliament. - September 9 – The OBX IndexOBX IndexThe OBX Index is a stock market index which lists the 25 most liquid companies on the main index of the Oslo Stock Exchange in Norway. All stocks on the OBX list can be traded with options and futures...
drops 5.57%, then the fourth biggest drop ever. - September 29 – In conjunction with the global liquidity crisis the indexOBX IndexThe OBX Index is a stock market index which lists the 25 most liquid companies on the main index of the Oslo Stock Exchange in Norway. All stocks on the OBX list can be traded with options and futures...
of Oslo Stock ExchangeOslo Stock ExchangeThe Oslo Stock Exchange serves as the main market for trading in the shares of Norwegian companies. It opens at 9:00am and closes 5:30pm local time...
drops 8.3%, then its third largest drop ever in one day, but eclipsed only one week later. - October 6 – The OBX IndexOBX IndexThe OBX Index is a stock market index which lists the 25 most liquid companies on the main index of the Oslo Stock Exchange in Norway. All stocks on the OBX list can be traded with options and futures...
drops 9.71%, the third largest drop ever in one day. - October 8 – The OBX IndexOBX IndexThe OBX Index is a stock market index which lists the 25 most liquid companies on the main index of the Oslo Stock Exchange in Norway. All stocks on the OBX list can be traded with options and futures...
drops 6.44% - October – BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i-NorwegianNorwayNorway , 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...
parliamentarian for the Labour PartyNorwegian Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
Saera KhanSaera KhanSaera Tithi Khan is a Bangladeshi-Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Oslo in 2005. She had previously served as a deputy representative during the term 2001–2005...
withdraws her candidacy for next year's elections when it is revealed that she has spent large sums using her parliament paid-for mobile phone to call psychicPsychicA psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
hotlines and then consistently lied to cover up the fact. - October – Controversy erupts when Holocaust denier and historian David Irving is invited to the 2009 Norwegian Festival of LiteratureNorwegian Festival of LiteratureThe Norwegian Festival of Literature is the biggest literary festival in the Nordic countries taking place in May at Lillehammer every year since 1995...
at LillehammerLillehammeris a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
, to discuss his concept of truth, ending in Irving's invitation being withdrawn.
Quotations
"When Coercion enters, Charity Leaves."
"Guns are dangerous. The only thing more dangerous is not having them"