Trump tries to win the Nobel Peace Prize – experts shake their heads

According to the Financial Times, US President Donald Trump is trying to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He repeatedly emphasizes that it would be a “great insult” if he did not receive it.

However, sources at the Financial Times point out that lobbying of this kind is unusual in the history of the award.

They point out that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded for actions taken in the previous year—at a time when Trump was not yet in office.

Researchers at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and the Peace Research Institute in Oslo emphasized to the Financial Times that openly pressuring the Nobel Committee is not common practice.

Trump repeatedly claims to have ended several armed conflicts. He also put pressure on the Norwegian government – according to Norwegian officials, he mentioned the award in at least one phone call with Finance Minister and former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

However, the government points out that the Nobel Committee acts independently. European representatives suspect that Trump tried to hastily conclude an agreement between Israel and Hamas in order to influence the committee's decision at the last minute.

The committee will announce its decision on Friday, October 10. The prevailing opinion in Oslo is that the award will go to a person or organization that supports human rights – and not to the American president.

(sie)