For the first time in its history, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has granted media access to its final deliberations, breaking a tradition of secrecy maintained since the Peace Prize was first awarded in 1901. As the committee prepared to announce this year’s laureate, the BBC and Norway’s national broadcaster were allowed a rare glimpse into the selection process.
Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the committee’s chair, described the discussions as intense but collaborative. “We discuss, we argue, there is a high temperature,” he said, “but also, of course, we are civilised, and we try to make a consensus-based decision every year.”
Appointed by the Norwegian parliament, the committee members, who are often retired politicians, fiercely guard their independence. While this year’s decision-making process has faced some public scrutiny, particularly regarding a reported campaign from the White House for Donald Trump, the core details of the nominations remain confidential.
All nomination papers, including the list of candidates and their nominators, are sealed for 50 years. Consequently, any information about who was considered for the prestigious award will not be publicly available for half a century.
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