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The Norwegian Parliament has authorised a high-stakes independent commission to investigate deep-seated connections between convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and a circle of Norway’s most influential figures.
The move follows the release of millions of documents by U.S. authorities that have fundamentally challenged the “incidental” nature of these relationships.
Lawmaker Per-Willy Amundsen, who leads the constitutional compliance committee, stated that the probe is vital to restoring public trust in the nation’s democracy and foreign service, noting that the revelations cast years of political history in a “very grave” new light.
The scandal has reached the doorstep of the Royal Palace, centred on Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who recently issued a public apology for her “intimate” friendship with Epstein.
Unearthed records show the pair exchanged hundreds of emails between 2011 and 2014—years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.
While the princess claims she was unaware of the full extent of his crimes at the time, the sheer volume and tone of the correspondence have shocked a public that was previously led to believe the meetings were sporadic and formal.
Beyond the monarchy, the investigation is scrutinising a “who’s who” of the Norwegian diplomatic elite.
Former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland, who famously chaired the Nobel Peace Prize committee, is currently facing a police probe into “aggravated corruption” regarding his ties to Epstein.
Similarly, high-profile diplomat Mona Juul and her husband Terje Rød-Larsen are under the microscope for their roles in a web of connections that critics suggest may have influenced Norwegian foreign policy and international appointments.
As the commission prepares to set its timeline and mandate, pressure is mounting for it to be led by the formidable Franco-Norwegian judge Eva Joly, known for her work on high-level corruption.
The inquiry will focus on whether these prominent Norwegians received financial or professional benefits from Epstein and why so many continued to associate with him long after his criminal status was global news.
For a country that prides itself on transparency and egalitarianism, the “Epstein Affair” represents one of the most significant threats to the integrity of its public institutions in decades.
