It has been 100 days since the parliamentary elections. Expectations for the new government were high, but many are already disappointed. A lot is about Støre’s management.
The comments expresses the writer’s opinions.
Today, December 22, it is 100 days since Jonas Gahr Støre won the election.
The election on 13 September was a historic victory for the left in Norwegian politics. The red-green parties captured 100 of the 169 seats in the Storting.
Click here to subscribe to newsletters from the Norwegian debate
Great expectations
Thus, everything was in place for Jonas Gahr Støre to form a government. There was no majority government as many had hoped, but still a government with very good opportunities to find a majority for its policy in the Storting.
Expectations were therefore high that this government could make significant changes. The election result undoubtedly also gave a signal that change was desired after eight years of bourgeois government.
When the Støre government took office on 14 October, everything was in place so that changes could also be implemented. Both the expectations and the opportunities to meet them were present.
Now it was up to Jonas Gahr Støre to complete.
100-day plan
Already well before the election, it was clear that the Labor Party in government wanted to implement major changes. This summer, the party launched a plan 40 cases to be carried out the first 100 days of government.
It has now been 100 days since the election, and 69 days since the government took office. Already in November, after Støre’s government had presented its revised proposal for the state budget, it was clear that only seven of the promises in the 100-day plan would be fulfilled. This was a huge upset and disappointment for many.
Admittedly, Støre leads a minority government. This government still has very good opportunities to find support in the Storting, with many different majority constellations.
It is therefore difficult to blame the Storting when promises are not fulfilled. Here it is Støre himself who has not been able to make it happen. People are also noticing this now. Government support for the polls are in almost free fall in December.
Here you can read more comments by Kjell-Magne Rystad
From crisis to crisis
Then Støre has had some crises in his lap. Both the corona pandemic and the power crisis have blossomed in recent weeks.
Yes, they have it. And it seems that the government is equally surprised and unprepared for both. The handling of both is characterized by improvised action without prior planning.
But both the corona and a tightening electricity market were there when Støre and his government stood on Slottsplassen on 14 October.
The government could well have started working on plans for how both the new shutdown and galloping electricity prices would be handled when it took office. Støre has spent a year and a half criticizing the Solberg government for handling the corona. Then he should have been well prepared with better plans himself.
The hesitation surrounding the wage compensation scheme indicates that the government has been anything but prepared.
The power pack as well. The measures came as a matter of urgency when the popular protests became too great. At least some form of long-term planning does not seem to be here.
It is Støre who is governed by the circumstances in both of these cases. This is how it is when you are not prepared.
At SV’s mercy
As the leader of a minority government without any permanent co-operation agreement, the Støre government must find a majority in the Storting on a case-by-case basis.
The government’s preferred coalition party in the Storting is SV. For both the electricity package and the budget, the government has sought agreement with SV. That NHO believes that the government can be governed by SV is perhaps not so surprising, but also not entirely untrue.
It is dangerous for a minority government to be tied too tightly to one coalition party. Then it is precisely one co-operation party that gets a lot of power, because the government itself has built a high threshold for seeking co-operation from others.
This is also what the voters see. Only 7.6 per cent of voters voted for SV in the Storting election. The vast majority do not want SV’s policy. Giving too much support to SV gives the impression of a weak government that does not pursue the policy that the voters in the parliamentary elections expressed wanting.
A strong leader knows how to get his will. Especially with such good majority opportunities the government has, Støre could have been far more forward-looking. Instead, an impression of indulgence towards SV has been left as the “one and only” partner in the Storting.
Therefore, it is perhaps not so surprising that voters are already disappointed. Dagbladet hits well when the newspaper on December 20 presents the recent poll, which gives the governing parties a total support of around 30 percent, with the headline “Horror numbers”.
The contours of a weak leader
After 69 days, it is far too early to pass a final verdict on the Støre government.
The impression that sticks is nonetheless that here there is little powerful leadership. A new government also gets its 100 wheat bread days where the critical eye from the press and public opinion is relatively mild. The first 100 days are not over yet.
But opinion polls suggest that the disappointment is already great.
A prime minister must be a powerful leader to have an honorable place in the history books. In this way, the contrast between Støre and the recently deceased Kåre Willoch seems great. Willoch led and gained support from a parliamentary basis that was far weaker than what Støre has now.
Read more from the Norwegian debate here
Big and weak leadership is not a new topic, not even in his own party. It is less than a year since an attempt was made to start one leadership debate in the Labor Party where Raymond Johansen was launched as heir.
The Støre government has not had a good start. This has nothing to do with crises, but with management. And the leadership lies with the Prime Minister, who is Støre himself.
We see the contours of a weak leader.
–
