31 Facts About Per Sandberg

Per Sandberg has additionally held the position of first deputy leader of the Progress Party from 2006 to 2018.

An outspoken politician with a blue-collar working background, Sandberg has stoked controversy on numerous occasions, and has been described, by former party chairman Carl I Hagen as well as the media, as the "proto-typical Progress Party person".

Per Sandberg has three siblings, sister Mona, and brothers Harald and Stig.

Per Sandberg has described his upbringing as "rough", partly due to his father, who he describes as being "incredibly strict and manipulative".

Per Sandberg was in the service of UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon in 1986 during the Lebanese civil war, where he worked as a cook.

Per Sandberg modestly started his career in the Progress Party by lending his name to the party's local list in Levanger, as a favour to a friend, for the 1987 municipal election, but surprisingly ended up securing a seat in the municipal council in Levanger Municipality.

Per Sandberg had originally joined the party after meeting resistance from public regulations when trying to build a house earlier in the 1980s.

Per Sandberg ended up, winning the seat, with 140 votes ahead of the Center Party favourite Marit Arnstad.

Per Sandberg chaired the parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice from 2009 to 2013, and from 2005 to 2009 chaired the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications.

Per Sandberg became deputy leader of the Progress Party in 2006.

Shortly after making his later retracted announcement to step down as deputy leader, Per Sandberg published his political autobiography Mot min vilje - oppklaringen av et politisk liv, in which he severely criticised several members of the Progress Party, as well as the political direction the party had taken following the 2011 Norway attacks.

On 16 December 2015 Per Sandberg was appointed Minister of Fisheries in Solberg's Cabinet.

On 20 March 2018 Per Sandberg was appointed as acting Minister of Justice, Public Security and Immigration in Solberg's Cabinet after Sylvi Listhaug resigned.

Per Sandberg has been highly critical of newer prisons such as the Halden prison, which he claims to have "hotel-standard", this according to him being a mockery against most people.

Per Sandberg has been critical of the fact that the prison have better facilities than most public nursing homes and child protection institutions.

Per Sandberg proposed in 1999 that the government should be able to expel foreigners from Norway if their children committed serious crimes.

In 2003, Per Sandberg stated that "different races, religions and cultures must not be mixed" if there are to be a "harmonious society in Norway", leading to strong reactions from other politicians.

Per Sandberg made the claim that ethnic Norwegians would soon become a minority in Norway.

Per Sandberg has feared the growth of Muslims in Norway, and claimed that certain areas could eventually be subdued to Sharia law.

Per Sandberg made headlines when in January 1997 he headbutted and punched an asylum seeker from Yugoslavia in the face after the latter had called him "pale-white, fat and rich" and "racist".

On 12 December 2006 Per Sandberg addressed the Norwegian parliament having consumed three shots of Akvavit and a beer.

In late July 2018 Per Sandberg went on an unannounced private vacation to Iran while still serving as Minister of Fisheries.

Per Sandberg explained that the trip as planned last-minute after his initial plan to vacation in Turkey was scrapped, this was due to an ongoing conflict with his estranged wife and that he informed the prime minister only after he had arrived in Iran.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg later informed the Storting that Per Sandberg had violated government regulations by not notifying his ministry about the vacation.

Criticism towards Per Sandberg increased after it was revealed that he had declined the security briefing that the Norwegian Police Security Service usually provide for Norwegian politicians who travel to countries where there is a high risk of espionage.

Per Sandberg proceeded to break protocol by bringing his work phone along to Iran, and while he first claimed that he had hardly used it, he had in fact sent 153 text messages and made 22 phone calls.

Per Sandberg has on several occasions been the victim of physical assaults.

In January 2008, Per Sandberg was physically assaulted by being gripped by the throat and kicked by a man outside the Norwegian parliament.

Per Sandberg managed to escape as Socialist Left politician Hallgeir Langeland happened to be nearby and came to his rescue.

Per Sandberg married his first wife, Line Miriam Sandberg on 7 August 2010.

In May 2018 Per Sandberg separated from his wife and relocated from their home in Senja to a flat in Mandal.