The crisis surveys have been almost constant for five years. It also has the characteristics that KrF are dying out and almost insignificant.
Dagbladet has recently mentioned that the party still does not have the election campaign team in place before the autumn elections. Sources in and around the party describes an internal tug of war between different directions.
An offensive Olaug Bollestad responds to the criticism of Dagbladet by presenting a new strategy she has been working on for some time.
– There are four areas where we will focus on new policies, says Bollestad.
Pressed to choose a new path
Kick the government
Since she became party leader, she has marked the KrF as a health party. In addition, she now says, KrF must be:
- The family and upbringing party
- The Health Party
- The Elderly Party
- The party for a society that is built from below
KrF has not designed the policy in each field yet. But it is about facilitating ideal actors, both in volunteering, school, the health sector and sports.
– It seems that the current government intends to gag almost everything called free elections, says Bollestad.
Against own party
Opposite strategy
She does not mention abortion in her new battle plan.
It is only a year and a half since her predecessor, Kjell Ingolf Ropstad, marked the abortion case as one of the party’s main issues in the election campaign.
– KrF will always be concerned with legal protection for unborn life, and we have not become less concerned with reducing the number of abortions. But the political debate is about expanding the right to abortion, and then KrF will do what we can not to expand the current abortion law, says Bollestad.
Unrest in the government: Power group formed
Our name is “People’s Party”
Centrally in the disagreements that a number of sources point tothis question stands:
Should KrF go wider with fan affairs and reach new voter groups? Or should they entrench themselves among the, usually traditional, voters with whom the party currently has the greatest appeal?
Some in the party lack clarity from the leader about where she stands.
Here, Bollestad points to an important point for her:
– We are called Kristelig, but we are also called Folkeparti. We must pursue a practical policy rooted in our values, she says.
Struggle for leadership
Agree on the central point
– In this new strategy, you do not mention any traditional Christian matters. Is it a signal that you are one of those who want to expand the party?
– I am concerned that you do not have to be a Christian to vote for KrF. But for me, the most important thing is to show our values, such as charity and stewardship, in what we develop in terms of politics, says Bollestad.
– But do you disagree that in KrF there are two different directions that go in different directions?
– In any party there will always be different opinions. But I feel that the most central thing is that we are united. It will also be important going forward to put effort into what we agree on, she says.
After NRK reality show: – Shaken
Can live with both
Ida Lindtveit Røse and Jorunn Gleditsch Lossius are mentioned as favorites to become the new deputy leader in April. Those two are referred to as very differentand who enters Bollestad’s leadership trio symbolizes this choice of direction, according to sources.
– I will be able to live with the outcome no matter who it is. But the great thing is that we have relatively young women who make themselves available. It also shows that there is a breadth in KrF, says Bollestad.
The campaign team has taken time to find, to get the right combination, she says.
She herself has no plans to give up.
– Quick to tear down
At the same time, the opinion polls are glowing red, and the party has, on average, been below the barrier limit continuously since the harrowing general election in 2018.
The latest survey in Dagbladet shows 3.4 per cent to KrF.
– That figure makes me travel around and work hard, because I sincerely believe that there should be a place for a Christian Democratic party in Norwegian politics. Building up takes time, but tearing down is quick. That is why I am concerned with the long term. We also have a strategy for 2025, 2027 and 2029.
And the party leader repeats a sentence many times:
– We have a strategy. I am keen to get that across, says Bollestad to Dagbladet.
