Liberal Party (Norway)
Liberal Party Venstre | ||
---|---|---|
Sami Parliament 0 / 39 | ||
Website | ||
venstre | ||
The Liberal Party (
For most of the late 19th and early 20th century, it was Norway's largest and dominant political party, but in the postwar era it lost most of its support and became a relatively small party. The party has nevertheless participated in several
Founded in 1884, then with the main support from
History
The party Venstre was formed in 1884 in connection with the dispute about whether or not to introduce
A dispute over Norwegian membership in the European Communities (now the European Union) led to the party splitting at Røros in 1972, with the people favoring EC membership departing and forming the Liberal People's Party. These included the party leader, Helge Seip, and 9 of the 13 members of parliament. Since then, Venstre has been a fairly small party. The parliamentary group was reduced to two after the 1973 election.
In 1974, Venstre elected the first female leader of a political party in Norway, Eva Kolstad.
Election results continued to be poor for Venstre. Before the
In 1997, Venstre passed the 4% threshold, increasing its seats in parliament to six. As a consequence Venstre also saw its first participation in cabinet since 1973. The party held four seats in the minority first government of Kjell Magne Bondevik. Lars Sponheim became minister of industry and commerce, Odd Einar Dørum; minister of communications, later minister of justice, Guro Fjellanger; minister of environmental protection, and Eldbjørg Løwer; minister of administration, later minister of defense. Mrs. Løwer was the first female minister of defense in Norway. This cabinet resigned in 2000, refusing to accept the Storting's decision to build gas power plants. In 2001, Venstre narrowly failed to reach the 4% threshold, but had two representatives elected, Sponheim and Odd Einar Dørum. However, due to Venstre becoming part of the second coalition government of Kjell Magne Bondevik, with Sponheim and Dørum entering the cabinet, the two were represented in parliament by deputies. The party also got a third member of the cabinet, with the appointment of Torild Skogsholm as Minister of Transport and Communications.
The
In the 2009 election,[12] Venstre ended up below the 4% threshold for levelling seats, leaving the party with only two seats in parliament, Trine Skei Grande and Borghild Tenden, whereas they had ten seats before the election. The same evening, 14 September 2009, Lars Sponheim announced that he would step down as party leader, as a consequence of the poor result. After the election, the party experienced growth in members. At the party conference in April 2010, Trine Skei Grande was unanimously elected as the new leader of the party.[13]
Venstre climbed over the threshold with 5.2% in the 2013 elections and entered into coalition talks with the Conservative, Christian Democratic, and Progress parties. Venstre and the Christian Democrats decided not to enter the new Solberg Cabinet, thus leaving it without a parliamentary majority, but made a confidence and supply agreement with it.[14]
Winning eight seats in the 2017 elections, Venstre entered into new talks with the Conservative and Progress Party coalition, and joined the coalition in January 2018 with three cabinet posts; Ola Elvestuen became Minister of Climate and Environment, Iselin Nybø Minister of Research and Higher Education, while party leader Trine Skei Grande became Minister of Culture.[15]
Ideology
This section needs to be updated.(March 2018) |
The party is regarded as
Through its history, it has taken part in both
In the last few election campaigns, Venstre's main focus has been on environmental issues, education, small-business and social issues. Venstre advocates higher taxes on activities that damage the environment.
At the national convention in 2005, Venstre decided with a margin of only five votes to still oppose Norway joining the European Union, albeit weakly, while still advocating that Norway remain part of the European Economic Area. In 2020, however, a majority at the national convention voted for Venstre to support EU membership for Norway. Thus, the official stance of Venstre is now in support of Norwegian membership of the European Union. Regardless, the party retains the position that the question of potential Norwegian EU membership should only be decided by a national referendum, similar to referendums held in 1972 and 1994.[32] Venstre additionally supports the replacement of the monarchy with a republican form of government.[33]
In 2007, Venstre became the first Norwegian party to advocate legalizing sharing of copyrighted digital material.[34][35]
Etymology
While the name of the party means Left in
Party leaders
- 1884 Johan Sverdrup
- 1884–1889 Ole Anton Qvam
- 1889–1893 Johannes Steen
- 1893–1894 Viggo Ullmann
- 1894–1896 Ole Anton Qvam
- 1898–1900 Viggo Ullmann
- 1900–1903 Lars Holst
- 1903–1909 Carl Berner
- 1909–1927 Gunnar Knudsen
- 1927–1940 Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
- 1945–1952 Jacob S. Worm-Müller
- 1952–1964 Bent Røiseland
- 1964–1970 Gunnar Garbo
- 1970–1972 Helge Seip
- 1972–1974 Helge Rognlien
- 1974–1976 Eva Kolstad
- 1976–1982 Hans Hammond Rossbach
- 1982–1986 Odd Einar Dørum
- 1986–1990 Arne Fjørtoft
- 1990–1992 Håvard Alstadheim
- 1992–1996 Odd Einar Dørum
- 1996–2010 Lars Sponheim
- 2010–2020 Trine Skei Grande
- 2020– Guri Melby
Prime ministers from Venstre
- 1884–1889 Johan Sverdrup
- 1891–1893 Johannes Steen
- 1898–1902 Johannes Steen
- 1902–1903 Otto Blehr
- 1907–1908 Jørgen Løvland
- 1908–1910 Gunnar Knudsen
- 1913–1920 Gunnar Knudsen
- 1921–1923 Otto Blehr
- 1924–1926 Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
- 1928–1931 Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
- 1933–1935 Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
Electoral results
Date | Votes | Seats | Position | Size | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | ± pp | # | ± | |||
1885 | 57,683 | 63.4 | 0.6[a] | 84 / 114
|
1 | Majority | 1st |
1888 | 37,320 | 41.8 | 21.6 | 38 / 114
|
46 | Minority (1888) | 2nd |
Opposition (from 1889) | |||||||
1891 | 51,780 | 50.8 | 9.0 | 63 / 114
|
25 | Majority | 1st |
1894 | 83,165 | 50.4 | 0.4 | 59 / 114
|
4 | Majority | 1st |
1897 | 87,548 | 52.7 | 2.3 | 79 / 114
|
20 | Majority | 1st |
1900 | 127,142 | 54.0 | 1.3 | 77 / 114
|
2 | Majority | 1st |
1903 | 101,142 | 42.7[b] | 11.3 | 48 / 117
|
29 | Opposition | 1st |
1906 | 121,562 | 45.1 | 2.4 | 73 / 123
|
25 | Majority | 1st |
1909 | 128,367 | 30.4 | 15.0 | 46 / 123
|
27 | Minority (1909–1910) | 7th |
Opposition (from 1910) | |||||||
1912 | 195,526 | 40.0 | 9.6 | 76 / 123
|
30 | Opposition (1912–1913) | 1st |
Majority (from 1913) | |||||||
1915 | 204,243 | 33.1 | 6.9 | 74 / 123
|
4 | Majority | 1st |
1918 | 187,657 | 28.3 | 4.8 | 51 / 126
|
23 | Minority (1918–1920) | 3rd |
Opposition (from 1920) | |||||||
1921 | 181,989 | 20.1 | 8.2 | 37 / 150
|
14 | Minority (1921–1923) | 3rd |
Opposition (from 1923) | |||||||
1924 | 180,979 | 18.6 | 1.4 | 34 / 150
|
3 | Minority (1924–1926) | 2nd |
Opposition (from 1926) | |||||||
1927 | 172,568 | 17.3 | 1.5 | 30 / 150
|
4 | Opposition (1926–1928) | 3rd |
Minority (from 1928) | |||||||
1930 | 241,355 | 20.2 | 2.9 | 33 / 150
|
3 | Minority (1930–1931) | 3rd |
Opposition (from 1931) | |||||||
1933 | 213,153 | 17.1 | 3.1 | 24 / 150
|
9 | Minority (1933–1935) | 2nd |
Opposition (from 1935) | |||||||
1936 | 232,784 | 16.0 | 1.1 | 23 / 150
|
1 | Opposition | 3rd |
1945 | 204,852 | 13.8 | 2.2 | 20 / 150
|
3 | Opposition | 3rd |
1949 | 218,866 | 13.1[c] | 0.7 | 21 / 150
|
1 | Opposition | 3rd |
1953 | 177,662 | 10.0 | 3.1 | 15 / 150
|
6 | Opposition | 3rd |
1957 | 171,407 | 9.7[c] | 0.3 | 15 / 150
|
0 | Opposition | 3rd |
1961 | 132,429 | 8.8[c] | 0.9 | 14 / 150
|
1 | Opposition[d] | 4th |
1965 | 207,834 | 10.4[c] | 1.6 | 18 / 150
|
4 | Coalition (V–H–Sp–KrF) | 3rd |
1969 | 202,553 | 9.4 | 1.0 | 13 / 150
|
5 | Coalition (1969–1971, V–H–Sp–KrF) | 5th |
Opposition (1971–1972) | |||||||
Coalition (from 1972, V–Sp–KrF) | |||||||
1973 | 49,668 | 3.5[c] | 5.9 | 2 / 155
|
11 | Opposition | 7th |
1977 | 54,243 | 3.2[c] | 0.3 | 2 / 155
|
0 | Opposition | 6th |
1981 | 79,064 | 3.9[c] | 0.7 | 2 / 155
|
0 | Opposition | 7th |
1985 | 81,202 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 0 / 157
|
2 | Extra-parliamentary | 7th |
1989 | 84,740 | 3.2 | 0.1 | 0 / 165
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | 7th |
1993 | 88,985 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 1 / 165
|
1 | Opposition | 7th |
1997 | 115,077 | 4.5 | 0.9 | 6 / 165
|
5 | Coalition (1997–2000, V–Sp–KrF) | 7th |
Opposition (from 2000) | |||||||
2001 | 98,486 | 3.9 | 0.6 | 2 / 165
|
4 | Coalition (V–H–KrF) | 7th |
2005 | 156,113 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 10 / 169
|
8 | Opposition | 7th |
2009 | 104,144 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 2 / 169
|
8 | Opposition | 7th |
2013 | 148,275 | 5.2 | 1.4 | 9 / 169
|
7 | Confidence and supply | 6th |
2017 | 127,483 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 8 / 169
|
1 | Confidence and supply (2017–2018) | 6th |
Coalition (2018–2019, V–H–FrP) | |||||||
Coalition (2019–2020, V–H–FrP–KrF) | |||||||
Coalition (from 2020, V–H–KrF) | |||||||
2021 | 137,433 | 4.6 | 0.2 | 8 / 169
|
Opposition | 7th |
See also
- Liberalism
- Contributions to liberal theory
- Liberalism worldwide
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracy
- Liberalism in Norway
Notes
- ^ Compared to the Liberals, a broad movement advocating parliamentarism prior to the creation of political parties (in contrast with the Conservatives which opposed it). The Liberal Party was formed in 1884 in connection with this dispute.
- ^ Contested the election in alliance with the Labour Democrats.
- ^ a b c d e f g The Liberal Party ran on joint lists with other parties in a few constituencies in most elections from 1949 to 1981. Vote numbers are from independent Liberal Party lists only, while vote percentage also includes the Liberal Party's estimated share from joint lists (Statistics Norway estimates).[36]
- ^ In government coalition from 28 August 1963 to 25 September 1963, see Lyng's Cabinet.
References
- ^ "KrF og Venstre mistet over 2.000 medlemmer på ett år". Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). 11 January 2018.
- Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. Archived from the originalon 24 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ISBN 9781907301988.
External links
- Venstre official site (in Norwegian)
- Election results for Venstre in the 2007 local elections