– The alarm has sounded mid-way – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

It's been 50 years since the first political district was launched. Fifty years of the year have been marked by dramatic and political duels and amusing moments.

Thursday evening from 19:15, the program is celebrated with a special offer of Ingensteds in Oslo. You can see the show directly here. It will also be broadcast on P2 at 20:00 and NRK2 at 21:20.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary, we spoke to a number of politicians who frequently participated in the popular debate program. Here are their thoughts on the political district and those memories that remain the strongest after their appearances.

Sylvi Listhaug (Frp): – Remember the debates of Hareide

Frps MP Sylvi Listhaug says the political district is a good way to wake up.

"There is an arena for defining the agenda, which is important for politicians, which addresses many different topics, and many regular listeners use the neighborhood, which is an important part of their morning ritual." says Listhaug to NRK.

She has had many statements that sparked heated debate both in the political district and in other media. Although it is especially a period of which she remembers the neighborhood particularly well.

"I remember very well the heated debate with Knut Arild Hareide during the election campaign of last year," said Listhaug, referring to the episode in which she said that Hareide "licked imams".

"It does not seem that others have forgotten either," she adds.

Stefan Heggelund (H): The alarm on the called mobile during transmission

Stortings representative Stefan Heggelund of Right calls the political district "The Cathedral of Debate Programs in Norway".

– The Political District is one of my favorite programs for many years. I have always considered it the most important debate program of his first day and I can lay the groundwork for the political debate for the rest of the day, "he said.

He explains that it is therefore his fault for the first time that he was invited in 2013.

"It was very nice to be there.It was very early and I remember that I was afraid to abandon myself.I was so scared that I was I did not sleep that night, I was around 24 hours, then I went to the political district debate, he said.

But nevertheless, forget that once for Heggelund. One of the most memorable memories of him is the day he pleaded for a debate in the Political District. He desperately called from home just before the start of operations and asked to join the phone.

"Then I sat on the counter of my kitchen with a glass of juice and I looked incredibly tired.When the programmer starts asking the first question, the alarm clock of my phone goes off and I do not get it. Do not hear anything from the studio, it was a very bad debate for me, he said.

Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp): Must set the alarm clock on 04:30.

The center party leader, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, draws with laughter in advance. The political district begins when asked what the program means to him.

"For me personally, it means less sleep than I have to get up very early in the morning.To participate, I have to take a train at 5:00 am When I go to the political district, I set the alarm clock at 16:30, says -he.

He describes it as a radio show like "we who are social advocates", and describes it as "short but long enough to get to the bottom of things".

"And the form of dueling you have in the program is nice, because you can then clearly state the positions and political convictions," said the head of the political party.

What he remembers best among his numerous appearances in the Political Quarter was a debate on police reform with the then Minister of Justice, Per-Willy Amundsen (Frp), last year.

"Then I told Amundsen that it was" very scary, as a government council, to sit in the bureau of the press specializing in research and to tell all those who carry Police uniform are in the wrong. "This is the sentence I uttered in the political district that sparked the most debate.I remember that Dagsrevyen pleaded his case later in the day, says Slagsvold Vedum.

Henrik Asheim (H): poorly lit by the programmer

The chairman of the Storting Finance Committee, Henrik Asheim, said he still belonged to the political district, that he was in bed before getting up.

– The political district often places the agenda for the rest of the day. We politicians also think that if you are out of something, you would like it to be in the political district, he says.

As we will see in more detail in this article, politicians often mention the transmission time of the program. And not in positive terms.

"When I am in the political district, I get up early and talk loudly to myself in the shower to avoid that morning voice because I rarely talk to anyone so early in the morning. And then it's very hard to clear your head so soon, "said Asheim.

He further mentions that the program is run by some of the nicest and hardest journalists that NRK has, stating that a guest needs to be fine-tuned because the writing is very well prepared. But this is precisely what he mentions as one of the most unpleasant of the program.

"The most uncomfortable with Political Quarter is Bjørn Myklebust, who is an extremely thoughtful journalist who cheats you in a corner," said Asheim, telling me that Myklebust had left him his worst memory of Political Quarter.

– During the 2013 election campaign, poor results in PISA were found. Then I declared that it was the verdict of the Red Green Party policy. Then there was a new investigation after we made our decision a few years later. Then I said, "You can not blame a government that has only been sitting for a few years."

But Myklebust had the 2013 Asheim statements in the back and dropped them like a bomb right.

"That's why I was a parody politician who said that everything went well when you were directing people and that you owe them what's going wrong," Asheim said.

Kristin Halvorsen: "It's the beginning of the political day"

Former SV leader Kristin Halvorsen has only good memories as a frequent debate in the political district, with one exception: the timing of the mission.

"Every year, I was an active politician, it was a political affair, and then we knew we had laid the groundwork for the political debate for the rest of the day. so it's a good thing to do, it's not a superficial place, "says Halvorsen.

Now that she is no longer in politics, the political district is a mandatory morning routine.

"This is the beginning of the political day.Lots of news are flying over all the sites, while I hear the political district, it is still the order of the day.

But when Halvorsen met in the studio at Marienlyst at 07:45, she actually broke her own rules, she said.

"I had actually banned speaking in public before 10:00 am I am a distinguished human being to say that.However, exemptions by political bloc had to be made.I think all the time. The editorial team was aware of my early rhythm, I often came a minute before sending, but I arrived.

Trine Skei Grande (V): A meat factory as a gift

The Minister of Culture and Left, Trine Skei Grande, said the political district had "annoying power" to set the agenda.

"Most people involved in politics belong to the political district, most people do not belong to the political district, but they are the ones who speak and belong to most people.

Like many others, she sees the beginning of the program as the most "negative" of the program.

– It's too early to debate, at least for us, B. I do not want to be angry at anyone so soon, "she laughs.

She even remembers the debates that she and others had participated in.

"The fact that program officials eat politicians so early in the morning has gone crazy at the same time," she said.

Skei Grande was a guest from the political district and so took a gift on the occasion of the program's anniversary. It was the fleshy Venusfluefanger plant.

On the map were: "Found a gift that symbolizes his role".

– The political district may very well devour political meat and very early in the morning. They should be honored, she says with a laugh when she will explain the gift more closely.

Liv Navarsete Sign (Sp): – Remember the debates on the EEA

For me, the political district means developing and updating current political issues, said Liv Signe Navarsete, former leader of the Center Party.

She thinks that the political district provides a basis for many good discussions around lunch and

dining table throughout the country. Personally, Navarsete says it has had ups and downs in the political district.

"I have both won and I had to answer myself with difficult things.I remember my first meeting in Ålesund as a new party leader." confronted with a chronicle that my nurse had written about no to the state of SV.This chronicle had neither my advisers nor me with us, we were in government with SV and I was literally put to bed in this debate, says Navarsete.

She also remembers the debates on the EEA while as a leader, she had to say that she had not managed to promise the EEA debate during the next election campaign.

"It was very demanding and you will quickly notice that if you have worked well in the studio, given the number of text messages received, the political district is a very, very good program.I hope the program will last at least as well. long time.