According to NRK, Therese Egebakken, group leader of Stavanger KrF, described the trip as centered on the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian emigration to the USA and the sailing of the 'Restauration'. The delegation consisted of 11 people from the extended city council group, each paying a personal contribution of between 5,000 and 10,000 kroner. The trip included a concert and guiding, and the group participated in a celebration with the same theme at the Seamen's Church.
Egebakken explained that the city council group gained knowledge about Norwegian emigration history with a focus on Stavanger, including religious persecution of Quakers. According to NRK, she described themes such as human dignity in immigration, Ellis Island, preparedness at Ground Zero, and the role of civil society in crises. The trip involved group work and reflection on their politics and Stavanger KrF during the journey.
The opportunity for a KrF delegation to travel to New York was the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian emigration to the USA and the sailing of the 'Restauration'. The delegation consisted of 11 people after we had asked the people in the extended city council group who might be interested in participating in the celebration. Everyone in the delegation paid a personal contribution of between 5,000 and 10,000 kroner.
KrF has defended the trip, stating it was anchored in the city council group and the local branch board was informed. According to NRK, Egebakken described study trips during the period as very common for several parties. She rejected criticism, noting that some funds were used for a historical opportunity focused on the emigration jubilee, supplemented by personal contributions.
According to NRK, she described calling the emigration jubilee partying and vacation as strange and surprising from a political scientist.
The purpose of the trip was to participate in the 200th anniversary celebration of the Norwegian emigration to the USA and to welcome the 'Restauration' at the quay during the celebration held there. We were also at a celebration with the same theme in the Seamen's Church.
Knowledge about and focus on the Norwegian emigration history to the USA with a particular focus on Stavanger, including the situation around religious persecution, where many who emigrated from Stavanger were Quakers. Human dignity in the face of immigration, and reception and sorting of immigrants at Ellis Island. Preparedness and encounter with terror at Ground Zero, and also the importance of civil society and churches/meeting places in crisis situations during visits including to St. Paul Chapel, which functioned as a resting place and refuge during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Group work and reflection on our politics and Stavanger KrF during the journey.
This was anchored in the city council group. The local branch board was informed. We as a group have not had a study trip during the election period, so we chose to take this trip so that more could participate. A study trip during the period is very common for several parties.
We do not recognize the claim that this was used for partying and vacation. Some of the funds from the city council group were here used for a trip at a historical opportunity where the focus and main content concerned the Norwegian emigration jubilee. In addition, we used personal contribution. To call the emigration jubilee partying and vacation is strange and surprising from a political scientist, both when one considers the history and the situation many in Stavanger were in that made them emigrate to the USA at that time, and also the effect the population movement had for Stavanger. We would like to praise those who have done a tremendous job in marking the journey with the 'Restauration', and the implementation of the 200th anniversary of the emigration in 2025. We must never forget. Several of us were also on business visits with connections to Norway during the trip. And some were also at tourism events.
The emigration jubilee was a large and important celebration KrF had the opportunity to participate in, and vald