And the Nobel Peace Prize Goes to… Edward Snowden!

President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” according to the Nobel Foundation. He had been in office less than half a year when he won and was commanding American troops in two wars.

Now Obama could get some unwelcome company.

Two Norwegian politicians have nominated NSA leaker Edward Snowden for that same prize. Bard Vegar Solhjell and Snorre Valen of Norway’s Socialist Left Party announced Wednesday that they had nominated Snowden for the award. They praised his leaks for raising the curtain on modern surveillance techniques.

Related: DOD’s $5 Billion Push to Stop the Next Edward Snowden

“There is no doubt that the actions of Edward Snowden may have damaged the security interests of several nations in the short term. We do not necessarily condone or support all of his disclosures,” they said in their statement announcing the nomination. “We are, however, convinced that the public debate and changes in policy that have followed in the wake of Snowden’s whistleblowing have contributed to a more stable and peaceful world order.”

They added that the actions of the former IT contractor have “led to the reintroduction of trust and transparency as a leading principle in global security policies. Its value can't be overestimated.” 

Being nominated for the $1.2 million Nobel peace prize is a far cry from actually winning it; in theory, you or I or anyone on the street could be a nominee. The peace prize is considered one of the most controversial of all the Nobels (Gandhi never won it, for example). Obama’s prize is criticized because of our use of unmanned drones, which have killed civilians. On the other hand, important global figures such as Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and the Dali Lama have all won.  Comparing Edward Snowden to Nelson Mandela would be like comparing Houdini to Jesus Christ.