Siv Jensen (Cold Response)

Siv Jensen (born June 1, 1969 in Oslo) held the position as leader of the Progress Party from 2006 until 2011, when she had to step down following a scandal involving illegal sexual conduct with a minor, by a leader of the party’s youth organization. A male leader had undertaken oral sex with a drunk 15 year old member, at a hotel room in Oslo, the Norwegian capital. The age of consent in Norway is 16. Additionally he had filmed a number of naked young boys with hidden cameras in his bath room, when they were invited to his home under numerous occasions. Siv Jensen took no action towards the “suspect”, but instead chosed to keep the information secret and let him continue in his position. He even was a speaker at the party’s conference against sexual abuse, only a year later. When these facts were leaked to the media in March 2011, her inability to have taken proper action received harsh criticism from a number of organizations dealing with rights and protection of children, as well as from regional leaders of the party. The consensus concluded her (lack of) actions proved considerably poor judgment not acceptable for a person trusted to hold the leading position of a political party. This ultimately lead to her being forced to step down from her position in May 2011. Siv Jensen is currently still unemployed as of June 2014.

Early life and education
Siv Jensen was born on June 1, 1969 in Oslo Norway. She is the daughter of Tore Jensen (1926-1989) and Monica Kjelsberg (born 1939), both self-employed tradesmen. She is the great-granddaughter of the feminist and politician for the Liberal Party Betzy Kjelsberg. Her sister Nina Jensen is a marine biologist working for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), while her brother Tom-Einar Rysst-Jensen works for Hydro Aluminium, the aluminium division of Norsk Hydro ASA.

Between 1976 and 1985, she attended the Marienlyst elementary school. In 1985 she enrolled on Oslo Handelsgymnasium, graduating in 1988. She was then educated as an economist at Norges Handelshøyskoles Kursvirksomhet (NHHK), earning a degree in 1992. Between 1992 and 1994, she was a sales consultant at Radio 1.

Political career
In 1993 she was assigned deputy representative for the Progress Party in the Norwegian Parliament, and between 1994 and 1997, she was the Group Secretary for the Progress Party in the City Council in Oslo. In 1995, she was appointed the organizational deputy leader of the Progress Party in Oslo. Between 1997 and 1998 she was a deputy member of the Central Board of the Progress, becoming a full member in 1998.

In 1999, she was appointed 1st Deputy Chairman of the Progress Party, a title she held until 2006. Following a series of potential deputy chairmen had to step down for different reasons, she eventually emerged as the leading candidate to succeed the long-time serving chairman Carl I. Hagen, who had held the title since 1978.

Jensen was first elected to the Norwegian parliament (Stortinget) in the Norwegian parliamentary election in 1997, and has been a member of Parliament since October 21, 1997. As a member of parliament, she has served in several parliamentary committees. Between 1997 and 2001 she was a member of the Finance Committee. Between 2001 and 2005 she was the chairwoman for the Finance committee and a member of the extended Foreign Affairs Committee and the Election Committee. Between 2005 and 2009 she was the First Deputy Chairwoman of the Election Committee and a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

When Carl I. Hagen did not seek re-election as party chairman at the Progress Party's national congress on March 5-7, 2006, the door was opened for Siv Jensen to succeed Hagen as the party's new chairman. On October 5 she was elected as the Parliamentary Leader of the Progress Party, and on May 6, 2006 she was chosen as the new chairman of the Progress Party on the Progress Party's congress. Jensen was re-elected as chairman for two years at the Progress Party's national congress in Gardermoen on May 4, 2008. At the Progress Party's national congress on May 22, 2009, the title of chairman was changed to leader.

Norwegian parliamentary election, 2009

 * Main article: Norwegian parliamentary election, 2009

Private life
Siv Jensen is singel and has no children.