It has been in the cards for a long time. Hadia Tajik is obviously not finished at the top of Norwegian politics. After receiving what she herself called a “hard hit on the asphalt”, she has obviously got back up. For a long time, she has shown why she is perceived as one of Ap’s strongest cards: Debatable, razor-sharp, energetic and ambitious. A bonus is that she also knows the political craft at the Storting. A politician many believe Ap has good use for in a government that is poor in profiles and rich in bad opinion polls. Many obstacles in the way Just hours before the election committee in Labor Party gathers for its first meeting, Rogaland Labor Party launched her as the new deputy leader. Tajik himself is ready to take responsibility. What can go wrong? Her smallest obstacle on the way back to the top is probably the case that felled her. She resigned as minister and deputy leader following revelations about commuter housing and tax issues. Although some will object that there are unanswered questions that will stick with her, for most the case is dead. The leader of her county team points out that she has apologized and made amends. And she is by no means alone in Norwegian politics in having a commuter housing issue on her conscience. Has the deputy train left the platform? What could be an obstacle for Hadia Tajik, however, is that she arrives late to the party. Education Minister Tonje Brenna is more or less crowned as Aps’ next crown princess. When she travels around the country, she is referred to as the party’s hope and saviour. She is still among those of Støre’s ministers who shine the most. Tonje Brenna has a great advantage that few Ap politicians have. She has almost no enemies in the party. She is perceived as like-minded, jovial and popular. Her experience as general secretary of AUF, from Utøya and as county council leader in Viken, also gives her weight. Although this is not communicated to the outside world to a small extent, many people talk about this as almost decided that Tonje Brenna will be the new deputy leader. Shadows of the past You can say a lot of nice things about Hadia Tajik, but she is not entirely without enemies. And it is precisely the conflict-filled past that may be her Achilles’ heel. Although many believe she did an important job during the metoo case, many fear that Tajik’s return equals trouble. For many, Tajik and Giske have become two sides of the same coin. Regardless of who they agree with, root for, dislike or are simply indifferent to, the two are associated with noise. And if there’s one thing Ap is tired of, it’s noise. There are those who believe that a comeback for Tajik will be waking up a sleeping bear. A sleeping bear Although, sleeping and sleeping… For months, the party leadership has been tearing its hair out over the mass mobilization that is happening around a waffle iron in Nidaros. The party barely had time to get back on track after Trond Giske left politics, before he was back as the Santa on the load Jonas Gahr Støre will never get rid of. Talkative as he is, he takes the piss out of most people, whether they are political opponents, party members or commentators. And the party leadership has no idea how to target him either. Regardless of whether they try with reprimands, good talk or to throttle the influence through bylaw changes, the members continue to flock to his local team in Trondheim. With camera lenses in tow. More like than they like Although they will both hate the comparison, Tajik and Giske have more in common than being associated with noise. A political talent of the rare, bone-hard and unstoppable, with an ability to rise again that not many people can possibly have. For Tajik and her supporters, it certainly feels bloody unfair that she is associated to such a large extent with Giske and the power struggle between them. There are of course other ways into the Ap leadership than challenging Tonje Brenna. Neither deputy leader Bjørnar Skjæran nor party secretary Kjersti Stenseng expects to have cut cards for the positions. But it will be a bit of a hassle to replace them. An alternative is to make Tonje Brenna party secretary. Some point out that she has both the experience and energy to renew the party. There is little indication that this is Brenna’s wish. The willingness to make major changes in the Labor Party management will probably also be influenced by how the Labor Party does in the measurements. The attitude among many has been that this is not the time for major changes, but nothing is more like writing in sand than new crisis assessments. A consolation prize? Perhaps a place in Ap’s powerful central board is the best Tajik can hope for now. It can also be considered the “consolation prize” if she does not get the deputy manager job. In Ap, as is well known, positions of trust are worth their weight in gold, and a springboard to new, important positions. Therefore, the composition of the new central board could be a bit of a fight anyway. It is felt to be far too top-heavy, with many ministers and representatives of the Storting. New blood that is closer to the grassroots is brought in, it is repeated. But who is going out? One that many people point to as coming in is Stavanger mayor Kari Nessa Nordtun. She has made a solid impression as a local politician and head of Aps’ energy committee. It is also not free for those who are critical of Tajik to cheer for Nessa Nordtun too much. For example, she has gained many fans in Nidaro’s social democratic forum after her visit there. Some fear, while others hope, that the two coalitions will be pitted against each other. Although it is not automatically the case that it is impossible to have two Rogalanders in the central government. Another old acquaintance As if Tajik’s road to the top isn’t thorny enough, she will also run into an old acquaintance. The LO management got a lot of the blame/credit (here it’s the eyes that see) for Tajik having to resign. Now it is LO leader Peggy Hessen Følsvik who heads the election committee in the party. Central forces in LO do not want a comeback for Tajik now, but she also has warm supporters. In any case, the national assembly has the last word. Although right now it looks like Tajik is late to the party, it might as well be that the party hasn’t started yet. And in Ap we know that it can be noisy, bloody and long.
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