LEADER: Sylvi-Listhaug, leader of the Progress Party. Photo: Terje Bringedal
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FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug believes Fabian Stang expresses what many believe when he accused Jonas Gahr Støre on Thursday of turning the July 22 tragedy into party politics.
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– I think Fabian Stang expresses what many people think, writes FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug in a statement to VG.
The criticism has hailed against ex-mayor Fabian Stang (H) after he on Thursday post to Facebook where he accused Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor Party) of turning the “tragedy of July 22 into party politics”. The day was the 10th anniversary of the July 22 terror in which 77 people were killed. After a short time, Stang deletes the post.
In the now deleted post, Stang reacted strongly to the fact that Støre believed that the right wing has a special responsibility to distance itself from extremist forces.
– Støre said in reality that I and other Conservative politicians, have a responsibility for the murders and mutilations committed by the terrorist, Stang wrote in the post.
Asked by NRK if he regretted the message after the reactions, Stang replied the following:
– I regret that I dared to say what I thought about what I perceived as criticism of my party colleagues and me, Stang told NRK.
—-Former Oslo mayor Fabian Stangs deleted Facebook posts from July 22. Photo: facsimile, retrieved from Facebook July 22 at 19.22
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– We will not say anything more today out of respect for the fact that it is the day after a worthy commemoration of the 10th anniversary of July 22. We will therefore not comment on this matter further now, Listhaug writes further to VG.
FRP deputy leader Terje Søviknes refers to the party leader’s statement and says she responds on behalf of the party leadership.
Asked the right to take responsibility
In his speech during the tenth anniversary of the July 22 terror on Utøya on Thursday, Støre made a clear call to the right in Norwegian politics about to take special responsibility in the face of right-wing extremism.
Støre said that the left has previously confronted radical extremists on the left who used politically motivated violence a few decades ago.
– Politicians on the right must now raise their voices and draw clearer boundaries towards the far right. Do not close your eyes. And religious leaders in religious communities must take their leadership responsibility towards those who listen more to them, says Støre.
On Friday, VG tried to get a statement from Støre, but communications adviser Jarle Roheim Håkonsen states that Støre does not want to comment on the matter further.
Parliamentary representative Jon Helgheim also does not want to comment on the matter.
– In respect of those who want to have a worthy 10-year anniversary of the terror, I do not want to ruin it with any kind of political inaccuracies, he says to VG.
Solberg −I do not agree
After the memorial concert in Oslo Spektrum on Thursday gave Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) a clear message that she is not in line with Stang.
– I do not agree with him in the assessment of what Jonas Gahr Støre has said, Solberg told VG, after the concert.
– I do not perceive that the Labor Party has attacked the Conservatives, she added.
– The day today has been characterized by the fact that we will also have a tough and good debate about things we disagree with each other about at the moment, but also that we will stand together on things that are important. And it is the work against intolerance, discrimination, racism, and not least to crack down on everything that is an example of hate rhetoric, Solberg said.
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