Norway is set to open an inquiry into its foreign ministry following revelations connecting several prominent Norwegians to late U.S. financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move comes as a broader European scandal continues to reverberate across the continent.
The release of an extensive new batch of files last week has revealed links between Epstein and politicians, royals, and high-profile figures. In Norway, scrutiny now falls on Crown Princess Mette-Marit, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thorbjoern Jagland, former Foreign Minister Boerge Brende, and senior diplomats Mona Juul and Terje Roed-Larsen.
Jagland, who also served as chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, is under investigation by Norway’s economic crime police for suspected aggravated corruption. Authorities have indicated they may seek to lift his diplomatic immunity as ex-head of the Council of Europe. Jagland’s lawyer has stated that he intends to cooperate fully and is confident he can demonstrate his innocence.
The newly released files include extensive email correspondence involving the Crown Princess, even after Epstein was convicted of child sex crimes in 2008. Mette-Marit has issued an apology for her past interactions with Epstein.
Norwegian media report that a majority of parliamentary parties support an independent inquiry into the foreign ministry. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has suggested the parliament’s highest control organ, the Standing Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, should conduct the investigation.
Other figures under scrutiny include Juul and Roed-Larsen, who helped establish a secret channel for negotiations between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel leading to the 1993–1995 Oslo Accords. Brende has said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal past when he first met him in 2018 and regrets not investigating further.
The Epstein scandal has already shaken other European nations. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces questions over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, while royals and officials in the U.K., Slovakia, and France have come under pressure due to Epstein connections.
Norway’s royal family is simultaneously navigating other challenges, including ongoing legal proceedings involving Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son, Marius, who is on trial for rape and domestic violence.
