Norway probes politicians’ links to Epstein

Norway’s parliament has opened public hearings into links between Jeffrey Epstein and Norwegian politicians and diplomats, putting the country’s foreign service and political establishment under renewed scrutiny. The inquiry follows the release of millions of Epstein-related documents by the US Department of Justice earlier this year.

The parliamentary Control and Constitutional Affairs Committee has summoned 11 current and former foreign and development ministers to answer questions about practices within Norway’s foreign service. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who served as foreign minister from 2005 to 2012, is among those appearing before the committee.

Støre has said he never had a relationship with Epstein and maintained that Epstein had no influence over Norway’s foreign policy or development assistance decisions. He said the issues revealed by the documents involved individual cases rather than a systemic problem within the foreign ministry.

The government has introduced updated rules on conflicts of interest and other measures aimed at strengthening accountability. Støre acknowledged that even strong systems cannot completely prevent mistakes or misuse of trust.

Former Foreign Minister Børge Brende is also due to testify. He resigned as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum after his friendly relationship with Epstein became public. Brende has said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal history when they first met in 2018.

Several other prominent Norwegians linked to Epstein are facing separate police investigations over corruption allegations. Former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland, former minister Terje Rød-Larsen and former diplomat Mona Juul have denied wrongdoing. Rød-Larsen has previously apologised for his close relationship with Epstein, which included receiving a personal loan from him.

Queen Mette-Marit, the wife of King Haakon, has also apologised for her past friendship with Epstein but is not part of the parliamentary hearings.

Alongside the hearings, parliament has appointed an independent commission of academics and legal experts to examine issues revealed by the Epstein documents. The commission will review more than three decades of Norway’s diplomatic history and is expected to submit its findings in early 2028.