Norwegian Communist Politician Resigns After Scandal Involving the Theft of Branded Glasses

The leader of the Norwegian left-wing radical party Rødt (Reds), Bjørnar Moxnes, was caught stealing glasses from a shop at Oslo airport and resigned.

This was reported by Stavanger Aftenblad.

The incident took place on 16 June, and it became known at the end of the same month. It is reported that the politician took a pair of Hugo Boss sunglasses worth NOK 1199 (€107 at the current exchange rate) from the duty-free shop at Gardermoen Airport. The security guard identified him and found the glasses with the price tag torn off. The police later fined him 3000 kroner.

Moxnes himself explained on his social media page that he was looking at the sunglasses he liked and wondering whether to buy them, put them on his luggage and then accidentally took them out of the store with him. He claims that he then found them in his pocket, got scared, panicked and tore off the price tag in his state of mind. "I should have turned around and looked the store staff in the eye," Moxnes explained, admitting that he had made a mistake. He added that he paid the cost of the glasses.

Despite the fact that the party expressed confidence in the leader, he announced on 24 July that he was resigning from his post. Before that, he took a sick leave. "I made a big mistake and did even worse in the future. I am very sorry," the politician added.

In recent weeks, he has asked himself many times how he could have done something so stupid, he writes.

"I did not get a good explanation. But I am absolutely sure that I did something wrong, and I have to accept the consequences of it. We must hold elected officials and political leaders to a higher standard," Moxnes wrote. 

The MP added that he will continue to participate in political activities as a member of Rødt and a representative of the parliament. He has led the party since 2012.

Rodt (Red Party) is a communist political party in Norway. It was founded in 2007 as a result of the merger of the Red Electoral Alliance and the Workers' Communist Party. The Marxist party is described as far left.

According to the current rules in Norway, it is impossible to resign from an elected position, such as a deputy, during the term of office. The party's second-in-command, 37-year-old Marie Svein Martinussen, will temporarily take over the leadership of the political force.

It should be noted that earlier this year, Moxnes nominated the Russian protest movement Vesna and a Ukrainian group working to establish an international tribunal for military violations as candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annually by the Nobel Committee in Oslo, Norway, to individuals and organisations that the Committee considers to have made a distinguished contribution to peace. Members of national parliaments can officially nominate candidates for the prize.