The leftist politician considered resuming his law studies two years ago. Now he explores Erna Solberg’s skills as she negotiates a new city council in Oslo.
Oslo Venstre’s leader Grunde Almeland is on his way from city council negotiations in the center to control jobs in the Storting.
– I’m a person who likes to do a lot, and I always end up in positions where I have a lot of work to do, Gründe Almeland tells Oftenbosten.
The 32-year-old from Øystese in Hardanger has been busy lately.
Before the summer, he juggled leadership positions in the family and culture group at Storting and Oslo Venstre. Now two more tasks will take more time.
In the summer, he agreed to be the hearing officer in the control panel’s consideration of the merits cases of Donje Brenna, Annette Trettebergstuen and Ola Borden Moe.
After that, the case escalated after Erna Solberg and Anniken Hudfeld learned that they had been disqualified as a result of their husbands’ stock transactions.
As if that wasn’t enough: after the election, it became clear that the conservatives and liberals were joining forces to form a new city council in Oslo. Almeland was one of Venstre’s permanent negotiators in the negotiations about the new city council.
All this while still chairing the Family and Culture Committee.
The right and left are negotiating to create a new city council in Oslo. In the background is Almeland. (Formerly Holstein Bjergke (F) Erik Leigh Solberg (H), Anne Lindbø (H) and Marit Way (F).
Solberg to Solberg
Aftenposten meets Almeland in his office in Storting. He describes what the workday has been like so far:
– I started the day with a media policy debate at Pressens hus. Then I went to Hammersburg, where the city council negotiations were taking place. After that, I went to Storting to see some new dimensions in the merits case before I went back to the negotiations in Hammersburg.
We’re halfway there.
– After that I returned to Storting to participate in a group meeting. Tonight I’m going to enjoy one of the quietest evenings I’ve had in recent weeks. Then I will look at the last response letters that I did not have time to look at in the qualifying case.
In other words, he is alternating between negotiating a new city council with conservative Eric Leigh Solberg and evaluating the qualifications of conservative Erna Solberg.
Almeland insists, however, that the two things have nothing to do with each other – except for the similarity in name.
– Although Erna Solberg’s mistake was serious, not everyone in the Conservative Party was wrong. I sincerely hope that Eirik Lae Solberg will be a good city council leader and we are getting down to business with the negotiations.
– What is the most fun about working on merit litigation and city council negotiations?
– Negotiations are clearly a lot of fun. It’s an opportunity to express our politics and engage with what makes us political.
– Study work is not fun. But at the same time it feels important and meaningful.
Almeland is the investigating officer in the control panel handling the much-discussed competence cases in the Storting.
Become a citizen of Oslo
Almeland says he moved to Oslo in 2012 in connection with his three-year military career. He has stayed ever since.
– I have become a citizen of Oslo. Here I found my husband and started studying law. I also had a great time in Oslo.
Legal Studies is still an ongoing program. After Ola Elvestuen and Trine Skei Grande became ministers, he took a leave of absence from his studies when he had to start attending Storting regularly.
After that there has been a lot of excitement in politics.
– I think I have one more year, but every time I think I’m going to study to do something else, I turn to politics.
– You are married. Does your husband notice anything special about you during the day?
– No. He says very little.
– We have an agreement that I won’t talk too much about him, but I can reveal one thing: we have an agreement that I cook a certain number of dinners a week. I have not been able to honor that agreement even once so far in this Parliament.
makes itself available
Since he was elected to the Storting, Almeland is obliged to serve out the term. But what is the future?
– If the Liberal Party comes to power in two years, do you have ambitions to become a minister?
– Fortunately, it’s not up to me to decide.
– You don’t have to decide, but are your ambitions yours?
– You know what? I am ready for whichever party wants to use me.
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