- Eli Hagen
Eli Hagen (born
1947 atDombås inNorway ) is the wife and secretary of the Norwegian politicianCarl I. Hagen , former leader of the right-wing partyFremskrittspartiet ("The Progress party"). The Norwegian author Jan Martin Iversen credited her with a significant role in the development and survival of Fremskrittspartiet in his 1998-book about the first 25 years of the party.Eli Hagen is a well-known face to most Norwegians, infamous for her tall hairstyle which has been the butt end of many jokes. In November 2001 she also caused headlines when, after dropping off her husband at an official dinner at the Royal Palace in
Oslo , accidentally drove herVolkswagen Passat down the steps in front of the palace, with the political press corps as shocked onlookers. The following morningDagbladet - one of the largest newspapers in Norway - filled its frontpage with a picture of the tire marked stairs and the headline "Eli took the stairs - with her car".In 2006 she created more headlines than ever with the release of her autobiography "Elskerinne, sekretær og hustru - Gift med Carl (Mistress, Secretary and Wife - Married to Carl)", where she delivered frank observations and scornful descriptions of active, retired and even dead politicians. In the same book she mentioned her embarrassing drive down the palace stairs, and admitted she nearly "died of shame".
In 2008 she had her debut as regular co-host of the talkshow "Studio 5", a Norwegian version of
The View .External links
"All references are in Norwegian."
* [http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/1998/04/21/84122.html Dagbladet] (on Jan Martin Iversens book)
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