Embattled minister
Norway's Oil & Energy Minister Åslaug Haga went on sick leave over the weekend, after spending several days fending off media stories about how she and her husband have been caught in a series of building violations.
An aide said Saturday that Haga would be on paid sick leave for the next three weeks. The aide declined to detail Haga's illness, saying only that "there was a medicinal reason" for the leave.
It's become fairly common for workers and even top leaders in Norway to take paid sick leave after periods of stress or trouble on the job. Haga has been out sick for an extended period once before while holding down a cabinet minister's post, for high blood pressure about two years ago.
Haga has been under pressure lately after it was revealed that she and her husband violated local building regulations both at their holiday property on the Nord Fjord and at home in Ås, south of Oslo.
Opposition politicians, academic experts and image consultants have all said the violations and Haga's response to them have made her appear arrogant, and they have noted that "the law is the same for everyone," politicians and ordinary citizens alike.
Haga's supporters have claimed the violations are relatively minor and have been blown up out of proportion. At a press conference late last week for the small political party she heads, Haga herself accused the media of invading her family's privacy and making her appear untrustworthy.
She said she had considered resigning, but decided against it, claiming that she refused to believe a resignation was warranted.
Aftenposten English Web Desk
Nina Berglund
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