Summary of the case Several county associations support Sandra Borch as the new deputy leader of the Center Party after Ola Borten Moe resigned from the party leadership. Borten Moe resigned as a minister due to a breach of the integrity rules, and he will not stand for re-election as a representative of the Storting either. The northern Norwegian county teams have already rallied behind Borch as a candidate for the post of deputy leader. County leader in the Nordland Center Party, Frank Johnsen, praises Borch for her unifying qualities and previous work as a leader in Center Youth and a cabinet minister. Other county teams, such as Troms, Finnmark and Vestfold, also support Borch as a strong candidate for the post of deputy leader. Political commentator, Eva Nordlund, points out that wing affiliation can play a role in the choice of deputy leader, but believes party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum will emphasize the best candidate to represent the party from across the country. In Eastern Norway, the county teams are awaiting the election of a new deputy leader, while the county leader in Vestfold, Per-Asbjørn Andvik, supports the Trønder leader Ole Herman Sveian as the best candidate for the position of deputy leader. Elections for a new deputy chairman will probably be held at the next national meeting, in a year and a half. In the meantime, support from various county associations for Sandra Borch will be assessed, and it may be important to get support from Trøndelag for her candidacy. – She is considered to be part of the Right in the Center Party. The so-called Borten Moe wing, says political commentator in Nationen Eva Nordlund, about Sandra Borch. On Friday afternoon, during a hastily called press conference, Ola Borten Moe announced his resignation as Minister of Research and Education. He admitted to having broken the integrity rules as a minister when he attended a government meeting in January about a billion-dollar contract for the ammunition manufacturer Nammo. The week before, he bought shares for NOK 400,000 in the Kongsberg group, which is an indirect owner of Nammo. At the same time, Borten Moe announced that he will not stand for re-election as representative of the Trøndelag Center Party, and that he will resign as deputy leader of the party. Already on Friday evening, the northern Norwegian county teams had begun to rally behind Sandra Borch as Borten Moe’s successor in the party leadership. Frank Johnsen is mayor of Vågan and county leader of the Center Party in Nordland. Photo: JOHN INGE JOHANSEN / news Sandra Borch is fronted from Nordland Frank Johnsen, county leader of the Nordland Center Party, tells news that it is natural that the post of deputy leader goes to Sandra Borch. – It is because she is very unifying. She has shown that she has the necessary qualities in the leadership role she held in the Center for Youth. She has shown this in the work she has done as a minister, says Johansen. During a press conference on Friday evening, party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum said – that the election of a new deputy leader must wait until the next national meeting, in a year and a half. news has not succeeded in getting a comment from Sandra Borch. Ronald Wærnes was until recently county councilor for industry and culture in Troms and Finnmark. He is now back as mayor of Båtsfjord. Photo: Laila Lanes / news Support from Finnmark and Troms Already on Friday evening, the county leader in Troms, Svein Leiros, signaled via VG that the county team would support Sandra Borch’s candidacy. He says to news that he has registered that Nordland Sp has fronted Borch as the new deputy chairman. – We have many good candidates, but I think she is clearly one of them. We haven’t dealt with this in the party yet, as county leader I have no doubt that she is a good name, says Leiros. Ronald Wærnes is mayor of Båtsfjord for the Center Party, and former county councilor in Troms and Finnmark. He fully supports Sandra Borch’s candidacy. – I hope Sp in Finnmark stands behind Sandra. It would be nice to get such a prominent and skilled politician from the north into the party leadership, he says to news. Leading loose Borten Moe wing Political commentator in the Nation, Eva Nordlund, has followed and known the Center Party over several decades. She believes wing affiliation can play a role in the deputy leader election in the party. – Superficially, both Sandra Borch, Jenny Klinge (Møre og Romsdal) and Geir Pollestad (Rogaland) belong to the Borten Moe wing of the Center Party, Nordlund explains. Nordlund believes wing affiliation can play a role as long as political diversity in the leadership is emphasized in the deputy leader election. At the same time, Nordlund doubts that Trygve Slagsvold Vedum wants to take wing affiliation into account in the election of a new deputy leader. – I would think he wants to find a deputy leader who can fill the whole that is needed to represent a party from a long country, says Nordlund. Jan Ove Tryggestad believes that Sandra Borch is a good choice as the new deputy leader of the party. Photo: Tore Ellingseter / news Partial support from Vestlandet The mayor of Stranda, Jan Ove Tryggestad, is one of the most high-profile SP politicians in Møre and Romsdal, where Storting representative Jenny Klinge is elected. He believes Sandra Borch is a very good alternative as deputy leader, after Ola Borten Moe resigned on Friday. – She is a very strong candidate and will be the right choice if the Center Party is to hunt for new voters, says Tryggestad, who adds that he believes Borch is ready for the task. Nils T. Bjørke, county leader of the Hordaland Center Party, tells news that they have not decided on the position of deputy leader yet. He believes Sandra Borch is a capable and good candidate: – But, you should consider getting a deputy leader who is not in government, he says. Former party leader Liv Signe Navarsete, from Sogn og Fjordane, had a conflict-filled relationship with Sandra Borch, when Borch led the Senterungdommen. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB scanpix In Liv Signe Navarsete’s home county, formerly Sogn og Fjordane, the mood is measured about Sandra Borch’s candidacy. Jenny Følling is mayor of Sunnfjord municipality, and former county mayor of Sogn og Fjordane. She points out that Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, from Østfold, is deputy chair until further notice. – The party must first decide whether we will have an extraordinary national meeting or wait with the election until the next national meeting. It is important that several parts of the country are represented in the party leadership, both from the North and the West. Følling adds: – From the north, both Bjørn Arild Gram and Sandra Borch will be good candidates. Liv Signe Navarsete has previously stated that she does not want to participate in speculation about the position of deputy leader as she is a state administrator in Western Norway. Sørlandet SP – will let the leaders choose Eva Nordlund also believes that Geir Pollestad, from the Borten Moe wing, can also be considered as the new deputy leader. – He can also be relevant as a minister after Borten Moe, says Nordlund. County leader in the Center Party in Agder, Gyro Heia, does not want to point out a possible new deputy leader. – I do not want to comment or speculate on it. It must be up to the leaders to point out who they think is the best in such a solitaire. Because there is a solitaire to be added, she says to news. news has asked Vidar Nedrebø, county leader in Rogaland, where parliamentary representative Geir Pollestad comes from. He does not wish to comment on current candidates for the post of deputy. Former KS leader and Minister of Defence, Bjørn Arild Gram, is brought forward as a possible candidate from Trøndelag. Photo: news Trøndelag fronts Gram Political commentator, Eva Nordlund, thinks it is conceivable that Trøndelag stands behind Sandra Borch. Especially the old Sør-Trøndelag Sp; since Sandra Borch and Ola Borten Moe have been close supporters for many years. – Marit Arnstad, from Nord-Trøndelag, is a parliamentary leader, and can be considered relevant. But she will probably be too important for Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, to keep as parliamentary leader in the Storting, that she is unlikely to be relevant, says Nordlund. County leader in the Trøndelag Center Party, Ole Herman Sveian, tells news that there are many good candidates for the position of deputy leader. – When the time comes, Bjørn Arild Gram will be a particularly strong candidate. He has extensive experience and has done a very good job as a minister. Gram also has a long driving time and experience from many positions in the party, points out Sveian. Anne Beathe Tvinnereim is the remaining deputy leader and, together with Trygve Slagsvold Vedum from Stange in former Hedmark, is the leader pigeon from Eastern Norway. Photo: Vegard Wivestad Grøtt Østlandet awaits Anne Beathe Tvinnereim is now the only deputy leader in the party. She is from Halden in Østfold, while party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum is from Stange in former Hedmark. Thus, the district party is without participation from either Western Norway, Trøndelag or Northern Norway in the party leadership. Nevertheless, the county leaders in Eastern Norway believe that the election of a new deputy leader can wait. news has spoken to most of the county leaders in Eastern Norway. County leader in the Akershus Center Party, Brita Skallerud, believes there is no rush to find a new deputy leader, so long before the national meeting. Brita Skallerud, county leader of the Akershus Center Party, also believes that the deputy leader election can wait. – There is no rush to find a new deputy. I expect it to be an extensive process anyway. The county leader of Buskerud Sp, Sigrid Simensen, says the county party has not decided on the position of deputy leader yet. County leader Østfold Senterparti, Reidar Kaabbel, says the party has many talented people and many to choose from: – It is a process we take in the right forums first. But Borch is a skilled and clever lady. Ole Herman Sveian is deputy mayor of Malvik municipality, and county manager of Trøndelag Sp. He is pointed to as a possible new deputy leader. He himself would prefer Arild Gram Pedersen in the role. Photo: Knut Bløtekjær / news Vestfold wants a new trønder Per-Asbjørn Andvik, county leader Vestfold, believes the county leader in Trøndelag, Ole Herman Sveian, is the best candidate for the position of deputy leader – He is solid, has good experience, sane, calm, and you a capable person. I have great confidence in him and find him to be inclusive, says Andvik. Andvik fears that some people want the top job for the sake of the position: – Sveian should get the job for the sake of politics. When you are a minister, you have your hands full. We need someone to be a dedicated deputy, says Andvik. – Borch is very skilled in his position. She is of course a good candidate, but Sveian is in first place.
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Several county teams stand behind Borch as new deputy chairman of Sp – news Troms and Finnmark
