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Terje  SOVIKNES

 

  Terje Søviknes è nato il 28 febbraio del 1969 a Os, una città della Norvegia che si trova una trentina di km. a sud di Bergen ed è un personaggio politico progressista che è diventato sindaco della sua città.

 Terje è cresciuto a Sovikneset, un paesino vicino ad Os affacciato sul fiordo che fronteggia l'isola di Lysøya, ha finito la scuola superiore a Os e si è laureato in Ingegneria Navale all'Università di  Bergen,

 Deputato al Parlamento Norvegese dal 1997 al 2001 e Vicepresidente del partito progressista, ha in parte compromesso la sua carriera politica restando invischiato in uno scandalo a sfondo sessuale con una tossicomane sedicenne iscritta al partito.

 Nonostante questo incidente, non ha perso il sostegno dei suoi concittadini ed è ancora Sindaco della sua città natia, perchè quando venne eletto la città era strangolata da una tremenda crisi economica che lui ha saputo debellare fino a raggiungere l'attivo, tanto da guadagnarsi il soprannome di "Mago di Os".

Sposato con Janniche Askeland e padre di due figli, si è separato ed oggi vive con la compagna Linda Ellefsen Eide anch'ella impegnata politicamente.

Soviknes, che è un appassionato giocatore di Bridge, è stato anche Presidente del Bridge Club di Os.

 

Terje Søviknes (born 28 February 1969) is a Norwegian politician, and the first politician of the Progress Party to become mayor of a Norwegian municipality, namely Os, Hordaland. He was also a deputy member to the Norwegian Parliament from 1997 to 2001 Søviknes was born in Os, Norway to metalworker and fisherman Eirik Søviknes (born 1939) and store clerk Gunn Drange (born 1942).

He grew up on Søvikneset in Lysefjorden. He attended Os Senior high school from 1985 to 1988.

He earned a degree in marine engineering from Bergen College of Engineering in 1992, and later studied at Norwegian School of Economics Søviknes was from 1999 to 2001 vice chairman of the Progress Party together with Siv Jensen, and was considered as a possible successor to Carl I. Hagen as chairman of the party. He however became controversial after an incident at a party congress in 2001 where he had committed adultery with a 16 year old intoxicated member of the Youth of the Progress Party.

Søviknes is still mayor of Os and did not lose his local support after the incident. In fact, the support for the Progress Party in Os, from the 1999 local elections to the 2003 local elections increased from 36.6 to 45.7% (the highest share of votes for the party in a municipality for the election). The success was repeated in the 2007 local elections when he was reelected by a landslide. The candidate from the Conservative Party who came in second, jokingly commented that "You don't challenge Terje Søviknes in Os." He was yet again reelected in the 2011 local elections, this time however by a far lesser margin. This led to speculation that he could be ousted from power by a coalition of the other parties. Søviknes remained in power with the support of the Conservative party Os has since by himself and the media been seen as a showcase municipality for the Progress Party. This is as he in his first term as mayor achieved full kindergarten coverage, full nursing home coverage and started a program of well-being and health journeys to Spain and related locations. It was also established a "full" stop of immigration and a local Vinmonopol store. Successful in being consecutively elected as mayor from 2003 to 2007, in this term the main issues was development of the city centre, better drug addiction recovery programs, development of schools and construction of a waterpark. While the municipality was struggling with large deficits before Søviknes became mayor, this has since been turned into a significant surplus as of 2004.

 His successful career as mayor of Os has gained him the nickname the "Wizard of Os" by the media Søviknes married his first wife, Janniche Askeland in 1998 and they have two children together.

In October 2011 they announced that they were separating. He now lives with his new partner, 34-year old lawyer Linda Ellefsen Eide.

Eide, who besides being active as a Progress Party politician, is employed by a top law firm in Oslo.

Søviknes is an avid bridge enthusiast and former president of the Os Bridge Club.

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