Democrats in Norway

Democrats in Norway
Leader Ellen Simonsen
Founded 24 August 2002
Headquarters Kristian IV gate 85
4614 Kristiansand S
Youth wing Youth Democrats
Membership 3,500 (2013)[1]
Ideology Norwegian nationalism[2][3]
Social conservatism[1]
Right-wing populism
Euroscepticism
Political position Far-right[2][4]
Colours Blue
Storting
0 / 169
County Councils[5]
1 / 728
Municipal Councils[5]
8 / 10,781
Website
www.demokratene.no
Politics of Norway
Political parties
Elections

The Democrats in Norway (Norwegian: Demokratene i Norge, DIN),[6] formerly and commonly known as the Democrats, is a radical right-wing populist[2][4] political party in Norway without parliamentary representation.

The party was founded in 2002, chiefly by former members of the Progress Party led by Vidar Kleppe. The Democrats has a national-oriented profile; key issues are opposition to immigration and Islamic influence, opposition to the European Union (including Schengen and the EEA), and tougher law and order measures. In economic issues it has a more centrist profile, calling for raising the minimal state pension, care pay for homemakers, as well as opposition to taxes on cars and toll stations.[7][8] It considers its values to be based on Christianity and Norwegian heritage.

The party has never been represented in the Storting (parliament) except being joined by independent MP Jan Simonsen in 2002, thus effectively being represented until the parliamentary term expired in 2005. The party claimed 3,500 members in 2013.[1] As of the 2011 local elections, the party has eight representatives in five municipal councils, and one representation in a county council (Vest-Agder).

History

Foundation

Jan Simonsen, who joined the Democrats while an MP.

The Democrats were founded on 24 August 2002 at Hotel Linne in Oslo,[9] primarily by former Progress Party members, but also former members of the Labour Party, Conservative Party, Liberal Party and Socialist Left Party.[10] In November of the same year, the party successfully gathered 5,200 signatures (5,000 required), and was legally registered as a party. The new party's leader, Vidar Kleppe, had a vision that the party should have a role as an ombudsman at grass roots level, similar to the role of Anders Lange, the first leader of the Progress Party.[11][12] Since Member of Parliament Jan Simonsen (who was expelled from the Progress Party in 2001) joined the party upon its creation, the party was until 2005 also effectively represented in the Norwegian Parliament (technically, he had to sit as an independent).[11][13][14]

One of the components of the new party was the minor Social Democrats,[14] previously known as the Generation Party, which in turn had been formed as a splinter group of the Pensioners' Party.[13] The Democrats originally tried to take advantage of this party's status to run for election. This led to a struggle about the Democrats' right to put up lists in more counties. The conflict was resolved, and subsequently both the Democrats and the Social Democrats were eligible to contest elections in Norway.[15] Later, the Democrats went on to draw leading figures and members from parties such as the Fatherland Party and the Norwegian People's Party.[16][17]

Early years (2002–2012)

By August 2003, the headquarters of the Democrats in Kristiansand had reportedly been vandalised eight times.[18] In its first elections, the 2003 local elections, the Democrats ran in 46 municipalities and boroughs,[19] and won 0.3% of the nationwide vote in the county elections. It won two representatives in the Kristiansand municipal council, and one in the Vest-Agder county council.[20] In 2005, the Democrats became represented in the Bergen city council owing to the defection of a Progress Party councillor.[21]

The party stepped up its activity with the aim of gaining a foothold in the Norwegian Parliament at the 2005 parliamentary election. Before the election, party leader Vidar Kleppe tried to bolster support for the party by calling for the closure of all Mosques in Norway if they did not clearly distance themselves from terrorism.[22] Candidates running for the party also had to withstand threats and attacks during the electoral campaign. This included Nordland county leader Amund Garfors receiving death threats,[23] and party leader Vidar Kleppe being physically assaulted both by a former Workers' Communist Party deputy leader,[24] and by members of a demonstration by left-wing organisations SOS Rasisme, the Blitz-movement and Socialist Youth.[25][26] Despite running a high profile campaign, the Democrats failed to make any breakthrough in the election, as it only captured 0.1% of the vote.

The Democrats increased their number of candidates for the 2007 local elections, and ran in 85 municipalities and boroughs, as well as in all 19 counties.[19] The party won 0.3% of the overall vote in the county elections, and kept its representation in the Vest-Agder county council. It gained eight municipal councillors, among them in the cities Trondheim and Kristiansand.[27] For the 2009 parliamentary election the Democrats for the first time ran in all the counties in Norway.[28] The Democrats complained about the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation to the OSCE, as the party along with other extraparliamentary parties that ran in all 19 counties had been denied television coverage (except the Red Party).[29] Only a few weeks before the 2009 election, the headquarters of the Democrats were broken into, and a computer containing material planned for use in the election campaign was stolen.[30] In the election, the party remained at 0.1% of the vote.

The Democrats had to renew its public registration owing to the poor 2009 election result, and chose to re-register itself as the "Democrats in Norway".[31][32][33] The party only ran in 31 municipalities for the 2011 local elections.[34] It nevertheless again won eight municipal councillors, this time in five councils (two councillors in three councils), and held its representation in the Vest-Agder county council.[5] Besides its two representatives in Kristiansand (in Vest-Agder), all of the party's municipal councillors were elected in Hordaland.[35] After the election, the party became part of local cooperations that would govern Kristiansand[36] and Stord.[37]

Present era (2012–present)

Vidar Kleppe stepped down as leader in 2012 and was succeeded by Kjell Arne Sellæg.[38] The change in leadership was followed by internal strife and resignations. Eleven weeks after his appointment as leader, Sellæg left the Democrats to form a new party, the Moderates. He was succeeded by Elisabeth Rue Strencbo.[39] In 2013 the party elected Fredrik U. Litleskare as new leader of the party. Litleskare withdrew from the position in 2014 citing internal non-political conflicts, and was succeeded by Ellen Simonsen as acting leader.[40]

Political profile

The main issues for the party are law and order, increased help for the elderly and disabled, and a restrictive immigration and asylum policy.[11] The principles of the Democrats are built on Christian values, and Norwegian culture and tradition. The party opposes mass immigration and increased Islamic influence, fearing that Western liberal values such as human rights and the Christian heritage will be endangered. It also seeks drastic measures against crime.[10] When questioned about the party's place on the political spectrum, former Democrats' leader Vidar Kleppe responded that the Democrats are "in many ways a centrist party."[41] In 2013 the party voted to officially describe its ideology as a "value conservative centrist party",[1] while also describing itself to have features of pragmatic nationalism.[3] The Democrats consider the Danish People's Party and the Sweden Democrats to be its sister parties.[8] The party has been characterised by media and scholars as a radical-right populist party.[4][42][35][43]

Immigration

One of the main issues for the Democrats is immigration. The party maintains that mass-immigration to western countries will lead to considerable problems that are hard to solve, including considerable costs for social security payments and great increases in crime. The party believes that Norway's liberal values will be put in danger if a "Muslim mass immigration" is accepted. The party wants a stricter policy towards criminal immigrants, for instance allowing for the repatriation of immigrants participating in organized and gang-crime.[44]

The party also claims that the current Norwegian refugee-policy is cynical in that it seeks to help the few refugees who can afford the journey to Norway, when there are millions of people suffering worldwide without such possibilities. The Democrats seeks to change the refugee-policy to instead helping people outside the Norwegian border. They claim that in that way the Norwegian state can afford to help much more refugees for the same amount of money that it requires to help merely one person inside Norway. They do however want to let what it calls "true refugees" to come and stay in Norway.[44]

Law and order

The Democrats identify the causes of the recent upsurge in serious crime in Norway to be a result of liberal immigration policies, low penalties, and a lack of funding for the police, courts and prison system. The party wants to raise the sentence frame of first-degree murder to life imprisonment, and otherwise raise minimum sentence frames. It does not support giving penalty discounts for multiple offences, and wants instead to add up penalties for every single offence. The party wants to double sentences for second-time offenders, triple sentences for third-time offenders and so on.[45]

Foreign policy

The Democrats are opposed to Norwegian membership in the European Union, and wants Norway to withdraw from the European Economic Area and the Schengen Agreement. The party wants to replace membership of the EEA with a free trade agreement.[46]

The party supports a continued membership of NATO and the United Nations; yet, it contends that the latter must reform. It also seeks to work for increased free trade, and wants to dissolve "forced" state-controlled foreign aid. It only wants to give foreign aid to countries that seek to pursue a liberal economic policy, but maintains support to countries in cases of natural disasters, war and famine. It wants to help secure Israel's borders, and wants to move the Norwegian embassy to what it describes as "the country's capital, Jerusalem."[47]

Election results

Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/–
2005 2,705 0.1
0 / 169
 Steady 0
2009 2,285 0.1
0 / 169
 Steady 0
2013 2,214 0.1
0 / 169
 Steady 0

Local representation

As of the 2011 local elections (0.3% county results), the party is represented in one county, Vest-Agder (1), and five municipalities; Kristiansand (2), Askøy (2), Odda (2), Fedje (1) and Stord (1)[5]

Endorsements

The Democrats have been endorsed by several notable figures in Norway.[2] One of the co-founders of the party was former coach of the football club IK Start, Karsten Johannessen, who has since been a repeated low-key candidate for the party.[48][49] In the 2005 parliamentary election, the Democrats were endorsed by former boxer Ole Klemetsen and former pop singer Gry Jannicke Jarlum, who both stood as low-key candidates.[50][51] Professional Elvis impersonator Kjell Elvis has long endorsed Vidar Kleppe, and subsequently the Democrats, and stood as a low-key candidate for it in 2011.[52][53][54] Country artist Åsmund Åmli stood as a low-key candidate for the party in both the 2007 and 2011 local elections.[55][54]

Party leaders

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "- Vi har satt Odda på kartet", Hardanger Folkeblad, 19.03.2013
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Demokratene er Norges mest suksessfulle høyreradikale parti", Fædrelandsvennen, 06.02.2013
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.demokratene.no/sunn-patriotisme/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Høyreradikalisme", Store norske leksikon
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Demokratane". Valg 2011 (in Norwegian). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  6. ↑ "Vedtekter" (in Norwegian). Demokratene i Norge. 29 March 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  7. ↑ "Demokratene i Norge", Store norske leksikon
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jan Simonsen, "Nye Demokratene med klar profil", Ukeavisen Ledelse, 26.02.2014
  9. ↑ "Organisasjonshåndbok For Demokratene i Norge" (in Norwegian). Demokratene. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Flere politiske partier". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 14 August 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Demokratene registrert som politisk parti". Aftenposten (Norwegian News Agency). 27 November 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "Kleppe og Simonsen danner nytt parti". Aftenposten (in Norwegian) (Norwegian News Agency). 8 November 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Demokratene". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). 17 September 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Demokratene". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "Sak 46 Protest på listenavnet Demokratisk Alternativ for Oslo" (in Norwegian). Oslo Municipality. 31 May 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  16. ↑ "- Ytre høyre samles i Demokratene". Stavanger Aftenblad (in Norwegian) (Norwegian News Agency). 24 May 2005. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  17. ↑ Strøm, Kristin Lilletvedt (5 June 2003). "Jonstad med liste likevel". Østlandets Blad (in Norwegian). Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  18. ↑ "Kleppe raser mot steinkasting og ruteknusing". Aftenposten (in Norwegian) (Norwegian News Agency). 23 August 2003. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Demokratene stiller lister i flere kommuner". Adresseavisa (in Norwegian) (Norwegian News Agency). 2 April 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  20. ↑ Tvedt, Knut Are (21 February 2009). "Vidar Kleppe". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  21. ↑ "Fra Frp til Demokratene". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). 7 February 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  22. ↑ Torvik, Line (23 July 2005). "- Steng alle moskeer hvis de ikke markerer klar avstand fra terror". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian) (Kristiansand/Oslo). Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  23. ↑ Øverbye, Morten (23 August 2005). "- Jeg ble drapstruet". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  24. ↑ "Tiltalt for å ha slått Vidar Kleppe i hodet". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian) (Norwegian News Agency). 28 November 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  25. ↑ Rognmo, Gro (22 August 2005). "Bombarderte Kleppe med egg". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  26. ↑ Jensen, Christine (22 August 2005). "Kastet egg på Kleppe". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  27. ↑ "Val 2007" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  28. ↑ "Demokratene i alle fylker" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  29. ↑ "Klager på NRK til valg-observatørene". TV 2 (in Norwegian). 11 September 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  30. ↑ Sellevold, Terje (28 August 2009). "Innbrudd hos Demokratene" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  31. ↑ "Demokratenes generalsekretær: Målet er nådd" (in Norwegian). Demokratene i Norge. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  32. ↑ "Fugl Fønix reiste seg fra asken" (in Norwegian). Demokratene i Norge. 12 November 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  33. ↑ "Kunngjøringer: Nyregistrering av parti" (in Norwegian). Brønnøysund Register Centre. 10 November 2010.
  34. ↑ "Færre lister til kommunevalget". Politisk.no (in Norwegian) (TV 2). 1 April 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Strøm, Siri Kleiven (14 September 2011). "Demokratane gjer det best i vest". NRK Hordaland (in Norwegian) (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  36. ↑ Ommundsen, Mads; Mersland, Frank (15 September 2011). "Kristiansand-kabalen er klar". Fædrelandsvennen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  37. ↑ Haga, Anders (14 September 2011). "Fortsetter som ordfører". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  38. ↑ Moen, Sophie Bergersen (23 April 2012). "Overtar lederstolen i Demokratene". Adresseavisen (in Norwegian). p. 30.
  39. ↑ Strømmen, Øyvind (2013). Den sorte tråden (in Norwegian). Cappelen Damm. p. 231. ISBN 978-82-02-37028-2.
  40. ↑ http://www.sunnhordland.no/article/20141020/NYHENDE/141029996
  41. ↑ Lepperød, Trond (31 March 2005). "Demokratene i alle fylker". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  42. ↑ Libell, Henrik Pryser (28 August 2011). "7 prosent vekst for ungdomspartiene siden 22/7". MandagMorgen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  43. ↑ Tisdall, Jonathan (28 February 2007). "Pig tactics threatened". Aftenposten. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 "Flyktning- asyl- og innvandringspolitikk" (in Norwegian). Demokratene i Norge. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  45. ↑ "Lov og orden" (in Norwegian). Demokratene i Norge. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  46. ↑ "EU" (in Norwegian). Demokratene i Norge. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  47. ↑ "Utenrikspolitikk og u-hjelp" (in Norwegian). Demokratene i Norge. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  48. ↑ Mosdøl, Tor Hallvard T.; Egenes, Susanne (29 June 2005). "Karsten klager på bønnerop". Fædrelandsvennen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  49. ↑ "Karsten fikk Kongens fortjenestemedalje" (in Norwegian). Demokratene i Norge. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  50. ↑ Øverbye, Morten (31 March 2005). "Ole Klemetsen blir politiker: Vil slåss for stortingsplass". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  51. ↑ Ertesvåg, Frank (30 March 2005). "J-Diva vil på tinget". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  52. ↑ Fjelldal, Stian (15 August 2003). "Lever som Elvis" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  53. ↑ Hansen, Jan (7 June 2009). "Kjell Elvis rocket på Demokratenes landsmøte". Samfunnsmagasinet (in Norwegian) (Kristiansand).
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 "Fylkestingsvalget 2011: Valgliste for Demokratene i Vest-Agder" (in Norwegian). Norsk samfunnsvitenskapelig datatjeneste. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  55. ↑ "Fylkestingsvalget 2007: Valgliste for Demokratene i Vest-Agder" (in Norwegian). Norsk samfunnsvitenskapelig datatjeneste. Retrieved 18 September 2011.

External links