Trump’s Nobel Aspirations Meet Resistance from Norwegian Committee

Former President Donald Trump is facing significant challenges in his quest for the Nobel Peace Prize, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee reaffirming its commitment to impartiality. In an interview with AFP, the committee’s secretary, Kristian Berg Harpviken, emphasized that media attention surrounding nominees does not influence their decision-making process. The announcement for this year’s laureate will be made on October 10, 2023.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has consistently expressed his desire to receive the prestigious accolade, which was awarded to his predecessor, Barack Obama, shortly after he took office in 2009. Trump claims that his efforts in international diplomacy, including the resolution of multiple conflicts, merit recognition. He has asserted that he has effectively ended six wars, despite ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

Harpviken stated, “Of course, we do notice that there is a lot of media attention towards particular candidates. But that really has no impact on the discussions that are going on in the committee.” He underscored that each nominee is evaluated based on their individual merits, independent of external pressures.

Trump has received support from several foreign leaders, including Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, both of whom have nominated him for the prize. However, nominations had to be submitted by January 31, just 11 days after Trump assumed office, raising questions about the timing and validity of these nominations.

The nomination process is broad, allowing a diverse range of individuals to submit names, including members of parliament, cabinet ministers, former laureates, and university professors. The Nobel Committee will select the winner from a longlist of 338 nominees, a list that remains confidential for 50 years.

Harpviken noted, “To be nominated is not necessarily a great achievement. The great achievement is to become a laureate.” He added that the discussions within the committee are informed by a solid knowledge base rather than by recent media reports. “We do our utmost to structure the process… so that we are not unduly influenced by any campaign,” he said.

During a recent phone call, Trump raised the topic of the Nobel Prize with Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg. While the finance ministry confirmed the call, it did not disclose whether the Nobel Prize was a subject of discussion.

The Nobel Committee, composed of five members nominated by Norway’s parliament, prides itself on its independence from political influences. This was evident when it awarded the 2010 prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, disregarding the Norwegian government’s concerns and resulting in a prolonged diplomatic chill between Beijing and Oslo.

Experts in Norway are skeptical about Trump’s chances of receiving the Nobel Prize. Halvard Leira, research director at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, stated, “This type of pressure usually turns out to be counter-productive.” He argued that awarding the prize to Trump could lead to accusations of compromising the committee’s independence.

In an op-ed, three Nobel historians articulated several reasons against awarding the prize to Trump, citing his admiration for Vladimir Putin, who has been involved in the ongoing war in Ukraine. They suggested that granting Trump the prize would undermine the committee’s credibility.

As the Nobel Committee prepares for its decision, it remains focused on its mission to honor genuine contributions to peace, independent of external pressures or political considerations.