– This is democracy, now the people have spoken. And we must respect that. The words belong to Elias Holmen Berg. He is only 16 years old, but has been involved in the fight to make Søgne its own municipality again. On Friday night he had to realize that his first political battle ended in defeat. The majority in both Søgne and Songdalen want to remain in the larger municipality of Kristiansand. Bad mood at the election vigil for “We som vi ha Søgne municipality back” after the results of the digital votes were presented. Photo: Geir Ingar Egeland / news The result is a clear signal to the government, which will make the final decision. – We have lost, but still won. We have managed to bring back local democracy in Søgne, and I think we should be wonderfully satisfied with that, says Holmen Berg. Owing to extraction Sigurd Berg Aasen had hoped to get a use for Søgne’s old municipal coat of arms. Photo: Siv Kristin Sællmann / news Sigurd Berg Aasen has led the group “We who want Søgne municipality back”. He takes the defeat in stride. But he believes the city council in Kristiansand has engaged in stalling tactics, so that the referendum came as late as possible. – The surveys have shown that we had a majority earlier, says Berg Aasen. Mayor of Kristiansand Mathias Bernander reacts to Berg Aasen’s accusations of extortion tactics. Mayor of Kristiansand Mathias Bernander is satisfied with the result after the referendum. Photo: Kjetil Samuelsen / news – I disagree with that. Kristiansand municipality has handled the matter when it has been on our table, says Bernander. – But you tried to stop the case as often as you could? – We said no to a referendum because we did not think it was the right instrument for such a decision. The mayor also points out that the government has had to change the law in order to carry out an advisory referendum. – We have had majority decisions in our elected body, which is the municipal council. It’s not extortion, it’s democracy, says Bernander. Thinks democracy has been strengthened Trygve Slagsvold Vedum met residents of Søgne, when he visited the village in the summer of 2022. Here it is Gunvor Johansen who clearly told the Center Party leader what she thought about the matter. Photo: Siv Kristin Sællmann / news Center Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum promised before the election in 2021 that municipalities that wanted to secede would be allowed to do so if they came to power. – We will make arrangements for it in government, said Vedum at the time, who believed that the municipal councils could not override it locally. Gro Anita Mykjåland (Sp) sits in the Storting from Agder. The former Iveland mayor does not believe the party has been involved in pulling the county through a process that may turn out not to have been necessary. Gro Anita Mykjåland (Sp) believes the referendum has strengthened democracy. Here she is in conversation with Høyre’s Ismail Mahammed. Photo: Kjetil Samuelsen / news – I think the referendum was necessary. I would also argue that we are not going to be where we were after tonight. – How? – Citizens have once again had the opportunity to have their say. They have received confirmation that the government will listen to the majority in these old municipalities. Democratically speaking, we have come one step further after tonight. news’s political commentator Lars Nehru Sand was a guest on our broadcast throughout the election evening and election night. Photo: Kjetil Samuelsen / news news’s political commentator Lars Nehru Sand believes that turnout of 82 percent in Søgne and 72 percent in Songdalen gives this referendum legitimacy to the result. – This has been a party for democracy. This case has engaged, and it has been mobilized. This is the will of the people, and it is good for the way forward that the result has legitimacy among the population, says Sand. Motivated for more politics Elias Holmen Berg has developed a taste for democracy. Although this case has resulted in a steep learning curve for the 16-year-old. – I have not been involved in politics until now. But this has awakened something in me, he says. – How are you now going to collect Search for this? – I think it will go well. We are a village that has strong opinions, but we have to come together and respect the majority.
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– We have got local democracy back in Søgne – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
