Why did Anders Behring Breivik officially change his name to “Idiot”?

Every now and then, the Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik comes up with new ideas to get the press talk about him. Last year he filed a complaint, claiming that he was being tortured by the Norwegian authorities in jail. Now he is changing his name to something quite unexpected.  For those who need a little reminder, Breivik is the guy who made a … Continue reading Why did Anders Behring Breivik officially change his name to “Idiot”?

5 Reasons Marine Le Pen can win the French election against Macron.

Tonight the results of the French Presidential election were made public: Emmanuel Macron, the head of the center-right party En March!, and Marine Le Pen, head of the National Front (far-right and nationalist) are both qualified for the second round with respectively over 23% and 21% of the votes. Many voters including myself are relieved to see that a candidate as moderate as Macron will be … Continue reading 5 Reasons Marine Le Pen can win the French election against Macron.

Is France’s Next President a female Trump after all?

  French people are confusing. They drink wine at lunch and don’t think they are alcoholics. They each lots of fat cheese and stay slim. And their political life is full of mistresses and other surprises. One of the things foreign journalists do not seem to understand about French politics is that nobody can predict what is going to happen. Remember the French presidential election … Continue reading Is France’s Next President a female Trump after all?

What to do with Roma People in the Winter?

The first time I saw Sunita she was begging on the street below my office. Like many others she had a little paper cup and a picture of a baby, waiting for a few kroners to fall in. But unlike those I see around my office in central Oslo, she was young. She had beautiful green eyes and long black hair, and a straight forward look. It was … Continue reading What to do with Roma People in the Winter?

2015. The Year that Traumatised France

One’s first first reaction in these circumstances is to make sure one’s family members and friends are fine. The 7 areas of Paris where the attacks occurred started turning around in my head: is any of my friends likely to have attended the rock concert at The Bataclan last night? Could any of my family members have been in the Cambodgian restaurant where people got shot … Continue reading 2015. The Year that Traumatised France

Illustration: Ole Johnny Hansen for afroginthefjord.com. All rights reserved

Morals in Politics: What if French DSK had been Norwegian?

Do you remember Dominique Strauss Kahn? Or DSK like we call him in France? He was a high profile French politician, once the Head of the International Monetary Fund, French Ministry of Finance, and one press release away from becoming a serious candidate to become France’s President in 2012. He was basically one of the most powerful men in the world, until this day of May … Continue reading Morals in Politics: What if French DSK had been Norwegian?

The world screams #JesuisCharlie. But what is next for France?

On the 7th of January four famous French cartoonists were assassinated during a redaction meeting of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, along with 8 other persons including their colleagues and police officers who tried to defend them. More are wounded and some are still between life and death. Anyone out of France’s borders can feel attacked by this assassination, because this is not just a … Continue reading The world screams #JesuisCharlie. But what is next for France?

A Good Refugee is a Refugee who Never Comes to Norway

Two days ago an article was published in Aftenposten listing all the criteria on which a refugee application is refused to become a refugee in Norway. The list is the following: – physical handicap – cancer – several types of blood diseases – heart problems – epilepsi – hearing and speech problems – psychiatric disorders – back problems – eye injuries – war injuries and … Continue reading A Good Refugee is a Refugee who Never Comes to Norway