Jan Simonsen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Simonsen
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| Member of Parliament for Rogaland |
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| In office 11 September 1989 – 12 September 2005 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 March 1953 Stavanger, Norway |
| Died | 12 August 2019 (aged 66) |
| Political party | Progress Party (1975–2001) Democrats (currently loosely affiliated) (2002–2019) |
| Residences | Bærum, Norway |
| Website | Blog (Frie Ytringer) |
Jan Simonsen (born March 3, 1953 – died August 12, 2019) was a Norwegian writer, journalist, and politician. He was a member of the Norwegian parliament, called the Storting, for many years. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1989 to 2005.
Simonsen was part of the Progress Party for a long time. He was a member until 2001. After leaving the Progress Party, he later became a leader in the Democrats party from 2003 to 2004. After his time in party politics, he focused more on writing and journalism. He wrote a blog where he shared his thoughts on many topics. These topics included immigration, different cultures, and world events.
Early Life and Interests
Jan Simonsen was born in Stavanger, Norway. His parents, Viktor Holck Simonsen and Martha Espevoll, were business owners. He grew up in the Våland area of Stavanger.
He studied social science at Rogaland University College. He also studied history. Before becoming a politician, he worked as an editor for several publications. These included Strandbuen and Fremskritt, which was the official magazine of the Progress Party. Jan Simonsen was not married.
He was a strong supporter of the Church of Norway. He was christened as a baby in the church. He rejoined the church in 2005 after a new bishop was chosen.
In 2005, Jan Simonsen took part in a TV show called Robinson VIP. This was a celebrity version of the popular show Survivor. He did very well and finished as the runner-up. His favorite song was "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones. He also enjoyed reading books by the writer Leon Uris.
Political Journey
In the 1970s, Jan Simonsen was active in a youth group called Moderate Youth. He led the group's chapter in Rogaland from 1975 to 1977. In 1975, he joined Anders Lange's Party. This party later changed its name to the Progress Party in 1977. He admired the party's founder, Anders Lange.
Simonsen held many important roles within the Progress Party. He was the leader of the Youth of the Progress Party in Rogaland from 1978 to 1981. He also served as the vice chairman of the Progress Party from 1991 to 1993. From 1989 to 2005, he was a MP in the Norwegian Storting.
In 2001, Jan Simonsen left the Progress Party after being a member for 25 years. After this, he served as an independent Member of Parliament until 2005. From 2003 to 2004, he was the vice chairman of the Democrats party. This party was started in 2002 by other politicians who had also left the Progress Party. He stopped being a member of the Democrats in 2007. However, he still ran as a top candidate for the party in the 2009 parliamentary election.
Political Beliefs
Jan Simonsen was a strong supporter of Israel. He believed Israel had the right to protect itself. He said that he read a lot about World War II and The Holocaust when he was young. This was around the time of the Six-Day War. He also mentioned having friends on both sides of the conflict.
Before the 2009 election, he stated that his main goal was to protect Norway's democratic values. He wanted to defend the country's free and open society.
Images for kids
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Jan Simonsen
