Norway’s Prime Minister has been hit with a fine after she was caught breaching her own coronavirus restrictions while hosting a birthday party earlier this year.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg was fined 20,000 Norwegian crowns ($2,346) after thirteen people attended her 60th birthday celebration in late February, violating COVID guidelines, The Independent reported Friday.
Police chief Ole Saeverud said in a news conference the party broke the country’s ban on gatherings, which prohibit more than ten people at one event, according to the outlet.
Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg is fined for breaking her own government’s Covid restrictions in connection with a party celebrating her 60th birthday https://t.co/bnOoWvxoDY
— Bloomberg (@business) April 9, 2021
“It is therefore correct to issue a fine in order to uphold the general public’s trust in the rules on social restrictions,” Saeverud said at the conference.
Police did not fine Solberg’s husband, Sindre Finnes, who reportedly planned and attended the event. It is unknown if anyone else who attended has been fined. (RELATED: The University Of Florida Suspends Multiple Conservative Groups For Allegedly Violating COVID-19 Rules)
The investigation into Solberg’s gathering occurred in March after it was suspected that her party, hosted in the town of Geilo, had breached the restrictions on social interactions, The Guardian reported at the time. Solberg issued an apology on Facebook, explaining what happened.
“I understand those who get angry and disappointed over this. I have made a mistake and for that I want to say I’m sorry,” Solberg said at the time, according to The Guardian.
Several politicians, including Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been caught flouting their own COVID restrictions. Other Democratic governors, such as Illinois Gov. J.B Pritzker and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, have also been caught flouting COVID guidelines in their respective states.