6 | Annual Report 2018 It is said that it is a very personal post to be Ombudsman – so does it really feel like that? Well, yes and no. The Ombudsman is the only one who is accountable to Parliament. And to a large extent the Ombudsman does represent the institution in the public mind. In that way, the post is very personal. But in the normal run of things, I feel it much less. There, the cases are put together by the legal staff. And though the Ombudsman has the final say, the best argument must win. That argument often comes from the legal staff, and not from me. Can you as Ombudsman and watchdog be on good terms with the authorities? Well, it is up to the authorities to determine whether they feel that they are on good terms with us. But basically, we do feel on good terms with them. We are very aware of the need to show them respect and a sense of their reality. I also think that this is the best way to get them to do the correct thing. The Ombudsman must first and foremost make sure that the citizens’ problems with the authorities are resolved. The best way to do this is if we get on well with the authorities. Does Parliament interfere in the Ombudsman’s cases? No. Once in a while, you may see individual members of Parliament express criticism of the Ombudsman’s work. You have to take that as all in a day’s work – and of course consider whether the criticism is correct. But Parliament never interferes in what cases I should investigate and what results I should arrive at. In return, you should not as Ombudsman count on Parliament to come to the rescue if there are problems with the authorities. I have to find my own solution to the cases I myself decide to investigate. Do you find it annoying that you can only be Ombudsman for 10 years? I am very happy with my job, but generally no. Partly it is after all the law which decides that you can only be Ombudsman for 10 years, so that is just the way it is. And partly, for me personally, it is a good motivating factor that I have a set time period at my disposal, and then it is over. It helps get things done in time. As I said above, these are some of the questions I am often asked. And some of my answers. What 2018 more specifically has brought in the Ombudsman institution, you can read about in more detail in the following. About why dry legal rules on, for instance, the duty to take notes and keep records may be of great importance to the way schools deal correctly with children and young people. About the limits to the use of so-called news exclusives. About how good questions from the Ombudsman to the authorities may help citizens reach a quick resolution. And about our overall activities in the year gone by. Enjoy the report. Jørgen Steen Sørensen