The Progress Party received 45.5 percent of the votes in Flekkefjord. It shows the numbers after all the votes have been counted. Thus, the “flannel effect” has hit the town in the west of Agder. As is well known, Torbjørn Klungland, dressed in a traditional red flannel shirt, was surprisingly elected mayor four years ago. – The numbers are surreal. I had not in my wildest imagination thought that this could happen, says Klungland to news. “Missed” two mandates The support should actually have given 16 representatives in the city council. But the party only gets 14 seats. It is because they only had 14 people on the approved electoral list. – The Electoral Act section 11-12 fourth paragraph says that the surplus mandates must be distributed among the other lists, says Roar Hansson, election officer in Flekkefjord. Roar Hansson is election officer in Flekkefjord municipality. Photo: CHRISTINA HÅRVIK NIEUWLAAT / news Hansson says that the Conservative Party and SV got an extra mandate. – These mandates are calculated in relation to who was most likely to get the next two representatives, he says. – Funny, but also serious news’s political commentator Lars Nehru Sand has not heard of this happening before. – This is a calculated risk that the parties take. But since this was included in the Electoral Act 20 years ago, it has never been a current issue, says Sand. Sand describes the situation as special and a bit funny, but also a bit serious. – It is also serious in relation to the voter’s will not being allowed to happen, says Sand. news’s election expert Dag Ingvar Jacobsen is professor of political science at the University of Agder. He had to check the electoral law himself when he heard about this. – This is quite unique. I have never heard of it before, says Jacobsen, who has 30 years’ experience working with elections. news’s election expert Dag Ingvar Jacobsen had to check the electoral law himself when he heard about the situation in Flekkefjord. – Has given the iron FRP almost triples the mandates from 2019. Then the party got 16.4 per cent support. Klungland has a hard time explaining the great progress. – I have been a mayor who has represented a minority. But the parties have cooperated well. I may have taken on a role as a diplomat and a glue, says Klungland. See “victory interview” with Torbjørn Klungland. The Flekkefjord mayor emphasizes that the figures show that he is probably well liked by the residents. – I gave my all in the role, he says. The figures show that Klungland can look forward to four new years in the mayor’s chair. In the last four years, the Progress Party had six representatives in the city council. For this year’s election, they submitted a list of 14 representatives. Now all 14 have been given a place in the city council, which has 35 members. This picture was taken right after Torbjørn Klungland was elected mayor of Flekkefjord four years ago. Tonight it looks like he will be re-elected by a clear margin. Photo: Lars Gunnar Eie / news Flekkefjord had only 14 people on the list for this year’s municipal elections. Today’s mayor Torbjørn Klungland tops the list, which consists of 11 men and 3 women. Høyre is likely to become the second largest party in the city council, with five representatives. The “Flannel effect” Klungland was very surprisingly elected as the new mayor of Flekkefjord four years ago. Despite receiving only 9 out of 35 votes, he was elected as he had no opponents. – I am an old officer and I thought, “Now you have to deliver on assignments and take charge of meetings”, says Torbjørn Klungland (Frp). The FRP politician believes the session was comical, but at the same time symbolic: – I became the “flannel mayor” and have followed it on. I’m probably a bit more informal than what you’re used to in Flekkefjord, he says. Klungland also received national attention when in 2021 he chose to take what he thought was a discreet sip of soda during a TV interview with Erna.
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The “Flannel effect” hits Flekkefjord – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
