Political leaders across Norway have sharply criticised what they describe as an “absurd” and damaging act after Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to former US president Donald Trump. The move has sparked a diplomatic and moral backlash in the country that hosts the Nobel Peace Prize, with senior politicians warning that the gesture risks undermining the integrity and global standing of one of the world’s most prestigious honours.
Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last month in Oslo for her long-standing struggle for democracy in Venezuela, handed over her medal to Trump during a White House meeting on Thursday. According to Machado, the medal was presented “in recognition of his unique commitment to our freedom.” Hours later, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to publicly celebrate the moment, writing that Machado had “presented me with her Nobel peace prize for the work I have done,” calling it “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
The claim, however, was swiftly rebutted by institutions connected to the prize itself. The Nobel Peace Center clarified on social media that while a physical medal may change hands, “the title of a Nobel peace prize laureate cannot.” The Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute reiterated that the Nobel Peace Prize “cannot be revoked, shared or transferred,” a position they had already made clear when Machado first revealed her intention to gift the medal.
Norwegian Leaders React With Anger and Alarm
The reaction from Norway’s political leadership was swift and scathing. Kirsti Bergstø, leader of the Socialist Left Party and a prominent voice on foreign policy, described the episode in blunt terms. “This is, above all, absurd,” she said. “The peace prize cannot be given away.”
Bergstø also pointed to Trump’s recent rhetoric and actions on the international stage as evidence that he would never be a credible recipient of the award. Referring to his threats toward Greenland, she added, “Trump will no doubt claim that he has now received it, but it cannot be transferred, and Trump’s repeated threats toward Greenland clearly demonstrate why it would have been madness to award him the prize.”
Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, leader of Norway’s Centre Party, was equally dismissive, saying the episode said more about Trump’s personality than about peace. “Whoever has received the prize has received the prize,” Vedum said. “The fact that Trump accepted the medal says something about him as a type of person: a classic showoff who wants to adorn himself with other people’s honours and work.”
Fears of Damage to the Nobel Brand
Concerns about reputational harm were echoed by Raymond Johansen, former Labour mayor of Oslo and now secretary general of Norwegian People’s Aid. Johansen described the situation as “unbelievably embarrassing and damaging,” warning that it could politicise the Nobel Peace Prize in dangerous ways.
“This is unbelievably embarrassing and damaging to one of the world’s most recognised and important prizes,” Johansen wrote on Facebook. “The awarding of the prize is now so politicised and potentially dangerous that it could easily legitimise an anti-peace prize development.”
“I can’t believe she actually gave the prize to Trump,” he added. “What on earth is the Nobel committee going to say?”
Context: Machado’s Award and Venezuela’s Turmoil
Machado was honoured by the Nobel committee after making a dramatic and secret journey from Venezuela, with the committee praising her decades-long campaign for democracy against the “brutal, authoritarian state” of President Nicolás Maduro. Since then, the political situation in Venezuela has escalated sharply, with Trump leading a US intervention that removed Maduro from power and installed Venezuela’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, at the helm.
Critics argue that these developments make Machado’s decision even more controversial, blurring the line between a peace award and overt political endorsement.
Official Silence From Oslo
Norway’s foreign ministry declined to comment on the controversy, emphasising that the Nobel Peace Prize operates independently of the Norwegian government. Requests for comment were referred to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which did not immediately respond.
Meanwhile, images released by the White House showed Trump posing with the framed medal alongside a plaque reading: “Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.”
A Line Norway Says Cannot Be Crossed
For Norwegian leaders across the political spectrum, the message is clear: while a Nobel medal may physically change hands, its meaning and legitimacy do not. As one senior politician put it privately, the peace prize is “not a prop, not a gift, and not a political token.”
As debate continues in Oslo and beyond, the episode has reignited questions about how the Nobel Peace Prize should be protected from political theatre—and whether its moral authority can withstand such highly charged symbolism.
