As the first party leader on the non-socialist side, Bollestad is now issuing a clear declaration of confidence in Conservative leader Erna Solberg. She sees Erna Solberg as a “good prime ministerial candidate in 2025”. TRUST: The KrF leader says she has confidence in Solberg, despite the share case. Photo: William Jobling / news – Erna was a good leader of the government of which KrF was a part and a good prime minister for the country. I think that even into the future she is a person who can create security and trust, says Bollestad to news. – But the control committee at the Storting has not finished processing the case against her. How can you go out and conclude with confidence right now? – Now I’m talking about Erna as a person, and then there are things on the outside that have been quite difficult, but still, the way I know her and the way I’ve worked with her, the way she led the government, I have confidence that she also can do it again, says Bollestad and continues: – And of course I also have to listen to the control committee, but as a person and manager, I have confidence. Erna Solberg’s share case * Right after the election last year, it became known that Erna Solberg’s husband, Sindre Finnes, engaged in far more extensive buying and selling of shares than had been known during the years Solberg was prime minister. * There are shares and securities bought and sold over 3,000 times for approximately NOK 125 million. Økokrim considered whether there were grounds for opening an investigation into insider trading, but put the case aside because nothing was found that indicated illegalities. * Solberg has nevertheless acknowledged that she has been or may have been incompetent in several cases that were dealt with by the government she led in the years 2013-2021, including the comprehensive tax package that greatly improved the tax conditions for the oil industry. * The Solberg case is still being considered by the Storting’s control and constitution committee, but the Conservative Party’s organs have already made it clear that Solberg has the party’s full confidence to continue as leader and candidate for prime minister. KrF’s support At 11 o’clock, the KrF leader takes the podium during the party’s large gathering of local union representatives, during what is called the national conference at Gardermoen. There she will clarify KrF’s confidence in Erna Solberg and state that the party plans to go to the elections in 2025 with the Conservative leader as prime ministerial candidate. – Yes, we do, because she is the leader of the largest party on the non-socialist side. And that is important for us. – So the share case does not affect your trust in Erna Solberg? – Of course everyone thinks about the share matter too, but she takes responsibility for her leadership, that’s what I start from. And then of course I have to take into account if things come up that I don’t know about, but where I am now, I’ll see I believe that she has a quality that can create security and trust. – Are you also closing the door on Jonas Gahr Støre? – I am also happy with Jonas as a person, but the government has not met people’s everyday lives and challenges in the way that I would like. Left on the fence Erna Solberg was prime minister for eight years from 2013. During these years she led a number of different bourgeois government coalitions, but in the Storting she always supported the Frp, KrF and Venstre. Neither the FRP nor the Liberals have come out and said that they stand behind Solberg as prime minister for a new term. Venstre leader Guri Melby will not do that either today, when she addresses her party’s second highest body, the national board. She has already clarified this in an interview with Aftenposten on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of the party she leads, which is Norway’s oldest. – There are quite a few people who have a formidable job to do in restoring trust, and that includes Erna Solberg, says Melby to the newspaper. When asked if she considers herself a current candidate for prime minister, she answers as follows: – Even if the polls do well, a party must have greater support than 6 percent to get the prime minister. So it’s not realistic right now. What about Frp? When the Progress Party left the Solberg government, party leader Sylvi Listhaug described it as being released from prison. She still believes the best government coalition was the first one, which consisted of the Conservative Party and FRP alone. And the reluctance to rule together also has a long history in Venstre and KrF, where many in both parties have hardly wanted to take on the FRP with tongs. When asked if she wants the FRP to be part of a new government under Erna Solberg’s leadership, Olaug Bollestad answers as follows: – Now it is the case that Sylvi herself has said that it was demanding when the KrF was in government and they chose to leave. We achieved a lot together with the Left and the Right, and that is the important starting point for me. – But you don’t close the door for Frp? – No, but when they have been so clear that they don’t want to, I think that the best thing is to work for what is the most likely.
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