He had actually set his sights on the post of local board chairman in Longyearbyen at the election next year. But now the Conservative Party’s first candidate in Svalbard for the last term, Stein-Ove Skilbrei Johannessen, has decided that enough is enough. In the autumn of 2023, he will have finished in local politics. The new electoral system for Svalbard is to blame for this, which means that several hundred foreign nationals lose the right to vote. – We no longer have a well-functioning democracy. Those who are elected next time will lack legitimacy in parts of the population. I think that is so problematic that I have decided not to stand for election next year, says Johannessen to news. Today, around 2,500 people live in Longyearbyen. Around 750 of these are foreigners. Requirement for three years of residence In the past, it was the case that foreign nationals could vote and stand as candidates in the local elections in Svalbard, as long as they had lived there for three years. But this summer the rules for local elections in Svalbard were changed by the government. From now on, foreigners who want to participate in local politics on Svalbard must first have lived in a municipality on the mainland for three years. In practice, the regulatory change means that a third of Longyearbyen’s residents have lost the right to vote overnight. According to the government, the rule change is part of the effort to maintain Longyearbyen as a Norwegian community. – I can understand the intention, but think it will work against its purpose, unfortunately. That is also the feedback I get from people in Longyearbyen. There are Norwegians who do not want to be part of a society where not everyone is equal, and who choose to move, says Johannessen. Also the local board chairman on the way out Another person who is probably done with local politics in Svalbard is the current local board chairman Arild Olsen (Ap). He also cites new election rules as a contributing factor to why he is most likely to resign, after two terms as local board chairman. Local board leader Arild Olsen (Ap). Photo: Rune Nordgård Andreassen / news – I understand Stein-Ove’s decision very well. It shakes the foundations of democracy when you deprive a large part of the population of the opportunity to vote. This has also bothered me, and has led to the desire to be a local politician becoming less. It will be decisive for my future as a local politician in Longyearbyen. According to Olsen, the new election rules will lead to a clear distinction between “us” and “them”, and he fears that a parallel society will arise in Longyearbyen over which there is no control. – You have to ask yourself if it is a wise move by the nation of Norway in the times we are in. – How do you respond if the election committee asks you to continue? – I consider all requests seriously. But it is clear: after two tough election periods and the new electoral system at the top, you start to get tired, says Olsen. On Tuesday morning, long-time Conservative politician Torgeir Prytz also announced that he was quitting politics on Svalbard. “The motivation to run politics disappeared when 33% of the local population lost the right to vote”, he writes in an email to news. – Financed by taxpayers on the mainland It was then Minister of Justice Monica Mæland (H) who in 2021 proposed tightening the election rules on Svalbard. This summer, the proposal was therefore followed up by the Støre government. Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl says it is understandable that opinions are divided about the new rules, but that the government has made thorough assessments ahead of the decision. In an email to news, she writes that there have been major changes in the composition of the population since the arrangement with local government was established in 2002, and points out, among other things, that there has been a large influx from abroad. “Longyearbyen is a Norwegian community. The government believes the new rules strengthen the connection to the mainland, and bring legitimacy and credibility to both Norwegian Svalbard politics and the local elected level in Longyearbyen,” writes Mehl. When asked what she thinks about politicians choosing to quit as a result of the new rules, she answers this: “It requires commitment and personal effort to participate in the people’s government, regardless of which body it is. It must be up to each individual to assess whether they are motivated to stand for election. If someone wants to join politics at the next election, I respect that decision”. – Expected move, says researcher Torbjørn Pedersen, professor of political science at Nord University in Bodø. Photo: PRIVATE Torbjørn Pedersen is professor of political science at Nord University in Bodø. He has Svalbard politics as one of his specialist fields, and has also lived in Longyearbyen for several years. According to Pedersen, the change to the election rules in Svalbard is an expected move from the state authorities. The reason is that development in Longyearbyen has gone in the wrong direction, set against the overall goals of Norwegian Svalbard policy. – It is more important to preserve calm and stability than to have the best possible local democracy, says the researcher. He points out that the settlement has gained a more international feel in recent years. At the same time, misunderstandings surrounding the Svalbard Treaty, Norwegian sovereignty and government relations on the archipelago have increased. – As a result of this development, local politics in Longyearbyen has become a more thankless exercise. There is a short distance between national security policy and local politics in Svalbard, and it is not unnatural that this results in local frustration, says Pedersen about the politicians who now choose to give up. I think it will be difficult to field a Conservative Party list The Conservative Party is riding a wave of acceptance nationally, and in some opinion polls this autumn had a support of over 30 per cent. Stein-Ove Johannessen gives up Svalbard politics in protest against new election rules. Photo: Vilde Kristine Malmo / news But in Svalbard, Stein-Ove Skilbrei Johannessen believes that the party may have problems presenting a list in the local elections in 2023. At least seven names are required for the list to be approved. – There are several people (in the local party, journal note) who think the same as me, and who say that what is happening now is not democratically correct. I have notified the Conservative Party centrally of my decision, and have said that we need assistance if we are to submit a list. – How do you think the new rules will affect voter turnout? – I’m excited. The local democracy in Svalbard has indeed been a success, with an ever-increasing turnout. He is very uncertain about what will happen next year. – Time will tell whether there will be a protest election or whether it will go as normal, says Skilbrei Johannessen.
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– lacks legitimacy – news Troms and Finnmark
