KrF has been thrown into a leadership vacuum. It occurred overnight, but can drag on in time. Two of the three elected by the national meeting to lead the party are now on sick leave. The party does not appear fresh either. One year before the general election, it may take several weeks before KrF gets the country who will take on the thankless job of leading a party in persistent crisis. The party has not finished its strategy work before the election campaign. It is a year before the election and a leadership is far from in place. Everything is a running battle against the barrier limit. On Monday 16 September, the party’s national board will probably gather to convene an extraordinary national meeting on the last weekend in January to elect a new party leadership. The selection committee will not give its recommendation to the national meeting until the very beginning of January. This means that it may take until the beginning of December before the candidates for leader and deputy leader in question have to give a final answer to the election committee. In 2013, these three were elected to lead KrF. Now Olaug Bollestad has retired and is on sick leave. Ida Lindtveit Røse is ill and in a life crisis. Dag-Inge Ulstein is on her way out of politics, but is being asked to turn the door. Photo: Vibecke Wold Haagensen / news No live discussion Over two weeks after Olaug Bollestad resigned as party leader, no one has openly said they are willing to take over. On the contrary, two relevant candidates have flatly rejected it, both acting leader Dag Inge Ulstein and former party leader Kjell Ingolf Ropstad say they are irrelevant as leadership candidates. The party must either choose a long-term leader who will be in the role for several years to come, or a more short-term emergency solution and a transitional figure until the national meeting in spring 2027. The normal thing would be that right now there was a lively discussion about both politics and personal suitability. It is quiet in KrF, waiting for someone to raise their hand and reveal a commitment to the leadership role and a belief in the project going forward. The entire process is on hold until Ida Lindtveit Røse provides a clarification. She can postpone her decision until December. Then many other processes and decisions have to wait just as long. Røse, now on sick leave, is quoted in several press reports as saying that she and her family are in a deep crisis. It affects what the decision will be and when it will be taken. These are the key people in KrF’s way forward: Operation Heir Princess: Røse Ida Lindtvet Røse31 years Deputy leader of KrF since 2023 County council in AkershusFormer KrFU leaderWas deputy minister for Ropstad in the Solberg governmentWas on the blue side in the 2018 direction election Ida Lindtveit Røse has long been seen as the heir of the party. Many see her as someone who will manage to build a bridge between more value-conservative and liberal voices in the party. Røse will have a clear and distinct anchoring, but at the same time could broaden the party’s appeal and could be the personification of the family policy the party stands for. Many hope that she can be the personification of a clear political and value-based anchoring that can give the same boost as the Christian Democrats in Sweden have had under Ebba Busch. In statements to the press, Røse has said that she is now in a crisis that has nothing to do with her political work. It may still influence her decision. Politically, it will speak against Røse as party leader that she is far from a place in the Storting. It is almost impossible for the party to be elected from Akershus, and it seems just as far-fetched for Røse to “take” first place elsewhere. Actually, it is too early for Røse to become party leader now. It would be best for her to take over without having to be responsible for the election result next year, and take the party forward towards 2029 and let Bollestad be responsible for the 25 result. For the most value-conservative, Røse has a too liberal view of the abortion law, which was central to last year’s deputy leader race. Røse does not want a stricter abortion law than the current one. The government will soften it. Certain voices in KrF will tighten it. If Røse runs for party leader, it will be before both she herself and the party envisioned this, but with the mutual hope that it could be long-lasting. Few if any will challenge her. It will be expected that she will set a course fairly quickly and will define a political project for the party that stands by her as party leader. It’s urgent! She can also choose to continue as deputy leader, or withdraw from the party leadership altogether. Operation persuasion: Ulstein Dag-Inge Ulstein, 43 years Acting leader of KrF, deputy leader since 2021 Storting representative from HordalandWas on the red side during the 2018 general electionFormer development ministerFormer city council in BergenHead of KrF’s program committee Dag Inge Ulstein has been in the party leadership since before the disappointing election result in 2021 and knows all strategic assessments. He leads the work on the party program for the next term. Ulstein can be nominated to the Storting from Hordaland, and is thus guaranteed a national political platform. Among more value-conservative voices, he is considered a better card than Røse and has a unifying role. Even if his no is perceived as sincere, there are many in the party who hope that he will change his mind and, not least, work for that to happen. Many hope that he will be persuaded to re-election to the Storting and promotion to leadership before the Hordaland constituency’s nomination meeting in October. Ulstein will probably have to either go for a place in the Storting and a leadership post, or neither. He himself communicates the latest, while many will work intensively for the first time in the coming weeks. When the nomination for the Hordaland constituency is clear, the answer will be available in practice – long before the national meeting in January. If he agrees to continue, everyone will know that it wasn’t really his preferred choice. The Agder winner: Lossius or Kristiansen Jorunn Elisabeth Gleditsc Lossius44 years County deputy mayor in Agder Former parliamentary representative Former deputy mayor in Lillesand Jørgen Kristiansen48 years Deputy representative to the Storting Former deputy mayor and long-standing city council representative in Kristiansand Vest-Agder is traditionally KrF’s best constituency. In 2021, the party received 13.9 per cent here, compared to 3.8 nationally. There is an open battle for the place in the Storting and the two candidates have both been willing to join the party leadership. Both candidates have considerable management experience. Jørgensen to the greatest extent from local politics. Lossius has experience in national politics and also lost the deputy leadership battle against Ida Lindtveit Røse last year. Who will win the top of the list will be clarified well in advance of KrF’s party leadership being elected. In the worst case, the party has to deal with the fact that this is their only parliamentary seat. The Agder winner is a likely deputy. The next generation: Bjuland and Ystebø Hadle Rasmus Bjuland24 yearsKrFU leader Deputy representative to the StortingPossible top of the list in RogalandJoel Ystebø22 yearsCity council in BergenPossible top of the list in Hordaland Right now the “safe” seats in the Storting in Rogaland and Hordaland are vacant. It is likely that two younger gentlemen will be nominated. Joel Ystebø (22) and Hadle Bjuland (24) are possible deputy leaders. Both will appeal to the group of young, conservative, Christian men who are defined as an important focus area for the party. Geographically and demographically, there is much evidence that these are deputy chair candidates. Published 07.09.2024, at 10.03
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Everyone is waiting for Røse – Ytring
