Norway’s Ministers Face Parliament Over Epstein Links as Government Scrutiny Intensifies

Norway’s parliament has begun questioning current and former foreign ministers over their links to Jeffrey Epstein, putting renewed focus on how the disgraced financier gained access to influential figures in the country’s political and diplomatic circles. Eleven ministers are being questioned about their knowledge of Epstein-related relationships and whether government safeguards were strong enough.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who previously served as foreign minister, appeared before the parliamentary committee and said he had never met or communicated with Epstein. He maintained that the cases under scrutiny involved individual relationships rather than a wider problem within Norway’s Foreign Ministry.

The hearings follow the release of millions of documents connected to Epstein, which renewed attention on several prominent Norwegians. Among them are diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen and his wife, former ambassador Mona Juul. Rød-Larsen was closely involved in the 1993 Oslo peace process, while both he and Juul are now facing separate corruption-related investigations and deny wrongdoing.

Parliament is also examining Norway’s financial relationship with the International Peace Institute, a New York-based organisation previously led by Rød-Larsen. More than 130 million Norwegian kroner was provided to the institute between 1997 and 2018, raising questions about oversight and potential conflicts of interest.

Former Foreign Minister Børge Brende also acknowledged meeting Epstein several times after leaving government. Brende apologised for initially denying the meetings and later resigned from the World Economic Forum after his relationship with Epstein became public.

The parliamentary investigation is separate from police investigations involving some Norwegian figures. Norway has also established an independent commission to examine the wider Epstein-related revelations, including whether weaknesses in government procedures allowed inappropriate relationships or conflicts of interest to go unchecked. Its findings are expected in 2028.

The hearings are therefore focusing not only on individual contacts with Epstein but also on whether Norway’s political and diplomatic institutions had adequate safeguards for managing powerful private relationships, financial interests and potential conflicts of interest.