Normally, they meet in secret, but now, for the first time in its 125-year history, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has allowed several journalists to attend the final meeting. On Monday, chairman Jorgen Watne Frydnes and the five other members gathered at the Nobel Institute in Oslo, Norway, to decide who would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. BBC reporter Mark Lowen, among others, was allowed to attend, right up until the final vote.

The members of the Nobel Committee are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament and are often former members of parliament or individuals who have distinguished themselves on the international stage. Currently, in addition to Frydnes, the committee consists of Asle Toje, Anne Enger, Kristin Clemet, Gry Larsen, and Kristian Berg Harpviken. Under a portrait of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite and the initiator of the prizes, they sat down Monday to have coffee and discuss who would receive this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

Who's who?

• Jorgen Watne Frydnes: Chairman of the Nobel Committee, human rights activist and Secretary General of Norsk PEN, an organization that stands up for freedom of expression. He helped rebuild the Norwegian island of Utøya after the terrorist attack by Anders Behring Breivik.
• Asle Toje: Vice-chairman, specialized in foreign policy and international relations. Has written several books on the topics.
• Anne Enger: Former chairwoman of the Norwegian Centre Party (1991-1999) and former Minister of Culture in Norway (1997-1999). Known for her"No to EU" campaign in the Norwegian referendum in 1994.
• Kristin Clemet: Member of the Norwegian Conservative Party and former Minister of Labour (1989-1990) and Minister of Education (2001-2005). Since 2006, she has been the head of the liberal think tank Civita.
• Gry Larsen: Politician for the Labour Party and for a time Advisor/State Secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Kristian Berg Harpviken: Secretary of the Nobel Committee. Sociologist and peace and conflict researcher, known for his research on war, peace and migration in Afghanistan. Since 1993 affiliated with the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).

Tempers can flare

The meeting traditionally began with the reading of the criteria laid out in Alfred Nobel's 1895 will: the Nobel Peace Prize would be awarded to the person who had most contributed to brotherhood among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, or the holding or promotion of peace congresses."We discuss and we argue. Emotions can get quite heated," said Frydnes."But of course, we always remain civilized, and we try to reach a decision every year by consensus."

Then the reporters present must leave the room and the door closes irrevocably. Time to decide. The winner will be announced Friday, but the fact remains that one figure dominated the debates: Donald Trump.

It's no secret that the American president wants to win one of the world's most prestigious awards. In speeches and press conferences, he has repeatedly reiterated how he single-handedly ended seven wars, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. He declared himself deserving of the award, and everyone he spoke to agreed with him.

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Trump has indeed been nominated multiple times. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly endorsed Trump, the president of Azerbaijan said Trump"deserved the award," and the Pakistani government announced that they had also nominated Trump.

Possible obstacle for Trump

Frydnes and the rest of the Committee, however, say they won't be"distracted" by public pressure."Every year we receive thousands of letters, emails, requests, and people saying, 'This is the one you should choose.'... So that pressure is really nothing new." At the same time, the chairman adds diplomatically that this year is somewhat different."We feel that the world is listening and that the world is discussing," he says."And discussing how we can achieve peace is a good thing. We must remain strong and principled in our choices. That is our job."

One (potential) obstacle for Trump is that nominations for the award (this year there were 338, ed.) closed at the end of January, giving the committee time to review them. The US president didn't return to office until that month. So Trump shouldn't despair immediately if he doesn't win on Friday. If his peace plan for Gaza becomes reality and holds up, he will certainly be one of the favorites next year.