Per Ditlev-Simonsen

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Per Ditlev-Simonsen
Per Ditlev-Simonsen
Mayor of Oslo
In office
1995 – 2007
Deputy Svenn Kristiansen
Succeeded by Svenn Kristiansen
In office
1989 – 1990
Monarch Olav V
Prime Minister Jan P. Syse
Preceded by Johan Jørgen Holst
Succeeded by Johan Jørgen Holst
Member of the Norwegian Parliament
for Oslo
In office
1981 – 1985
Born June 12, 1932 (1932-06-12) (age 75)
Nationality Norway
Political party Conservative Party
Children Cecilie Ditlev-Simonsen
Residence Oslo
Alma mater Stanford University
Occupation Shipping magnate

Per Ditlev-Simonsen (born June 12, 1932) is a Norwegian politician. He was the mayor of Oslo, representing the Conservative Party, from 1995 to 2007. He stepped down on August 23, 2007 following the Swiss bank-account scandal.

Ditlev-Simonsen was an officer of the The Norwegian Royal Guards, and he later attended Stanford University getting a Master of Arts degree. After college, Ditlev-Simonsen became a partner in his father's shipping company Sverre Ditlev-Simonsen & Co (SDS) in 1955. He was a partner in the company until 1995.

Ditlev-Simonsen was a Member of Parliament from 1981 to 1985, serving in the Standing Committee of Finance. From 1989 to 1990 Ditlev-Simonsen was Minister of Defense in the Cabinet of Jan P. Syse.

[edit] Swiss bank account tax probe

In August 2007, the presence of a hitherto unknown Swiss bank account was revealed. The revelation came after an acrimonious divorce involving his daughter, Cecilie Ditlev-Simonsen, the communications director of Norsk Hydro.[1] The account, which contained NOK 1.5 million had been inherited by Ditlev-Simonsen after his wife died in 1990, and he eventually admitted to not having paid the Norwegian wealth tax on it.[2]

The revelation caused several opposition politicians to call for Ditlev-Simonsen's resignation. Erna Solberg, the head of the Conservative Party, asked that Ditlev-Simonsen refrain from active campaigning for his party ahead of the local elections scheduled for September 10. Even if he had not resigned, the 75 year old Ditlev-Simonsen was set to retire after the election.[3] The incident was believed to be a cause of the Conservative's 4 percent drop in opinion polls, three weeks ahead of the election.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Aftenposten (August 17, 2007). Mayor caught in tax probe.
  2. ^ >Aftenposten (August 20, 2007). Mayor sorry but won’t resign.
  3. ^ >Aftenposten (August 20, 2007). Oslo's mayor faces resignation demands.
  4. ^ >Aftenposten (August 22, 2007). Voters abandon Conservatives.
Preceded by
Ann-Marit Sæbønes		 Mayor of Oslo
1995–2007		 Succeeded by
Svenn Erik Kristiansen