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‘Trailblazing’ minister Mona Røkke dies at 73

Former Norwegian justice minister Mona Røkke has died, aged 73. The veteran politician, who first entered parliament in 1977, had fought cancer several times during her lifetime.

Published: 15 July 2013 12:48 CEST

'Trailblazing' minister Mona Røkke dies at 73

Mona Røkke (R) with Prime Minister Kåre Willochs in 1981. Photo: Scanpix

The conservative MP and later justice minister and county governor retired in 2010 after a long career in politics, but remained active in her party Høyre.

Party leader Erna Solberg on Monday hailed her as a feminist trailblazer and said Røkke had helped shape the party's politics during the 1970s and 1980s.

"She has had a strong political voice all these years, and she was the most high profile woman in politics during the 1970s and 1980s," Solberg told the NTB news agency.

Røkke, a trained lawyer, entered parliament in 1977 and joined the parliamentary justice committee. In 1981, she was appointed justice minister by Prime Minister Kåre Willochs. She went on to be county governor in Vestfold for more than two decades before retiring.

In 1986, she published the autobiography "No time for tears", which detailed her time in the Storting and in government, but also laid bare the scars of a life spent battling recurrent cancer.

Norwegian media on Monday had no information about the cause of the veteran politician's death.

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Norway ranked the best county in the world for press freedom

The new World Press Freedom Index, published on Friday by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), once again singled out Norway as the global champion of press freedom.

Norway has scored high on virtually all indicators, including the political, economic, legislative, social, and security ones. Its total final score was 91.89 – a drop from 95.18 in 2023 but still high enough for Norway to remain in first place.

Norway has also seen a fall in its political indicator score, which emerged as a common theme in this year’s index.

Ireland (8th), where politicians have subjected media outlets to judicial intimidation, has ceded its leading position in the European Union to Denmark (2nd), followed by Sweden (3rd).

The RSF further commented on the countries that performed the worst in this year’s index: “The three Asian countries at the bottom of last year’s Index – Vietnam, China and North Korea – have ceded their positions to three countries whose political scores have plummeted: Afghanistan, which has persecuted journalists incessantly since the Taliban returned to power; Syria; and Eritrea, which is now last in both the political and overall rankings.

“The last two countries have become lawless zones for the media, with a record number of journalists detained, missing or held hostage.”

A robust legal framework and vibrant media landscape

Reporters Without Borders pointed out that Norway’s robust legal framework and vibrant media landscape have contributed to its continued success in promoting press freedom.

The organisation further said that the Norwegian media market boasts diverse outlets, including the dominant public service broadcaster NRK and various private publishing companies, all of which operate with extensive editorial independence.

Despite the presence of a strong public broadcaster, digital platforms like the online version of the VG newspaper have gained prominence, reflecting a dynamic and evolving media environment.

“The Norwegian media operate in a favourable political environment. By and large, Norwegian politicians refrain from labelling unfavourable coverage as ‘fake news’ and from disparaging its authors.

“Parliamentarians and government ministers avoid approaching the editorial boards of publications subsidised by public bodies”, the RSF said.

The full findings of the 2024 World Press Freedom Index can be found on the RSF website.

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