Rebellion and protest. This is one of the reasons why the Industrial and Business Party (INP) has surged in the opinion polls this spring and summer. When all the preliminary votes have been counted, it seems that the party will have a central role when power is to be distributed in Norwegian municipal council chambers. – This is unbearably exciting. When we see numbers from Vega and Vanylven, it is clear that something is going on, says party leader Owe Ingemann Waltherzøe about the orange wave. NERVOUS: The party leader may end up on the edge of the city council in Oslo, but the party is just above 1 percent. The party will negotiate for power in many municipalities this autumn. – We have a lot of things we won’t celebrate. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news Support in the whole country Largest from north to south At Vega in Helgeland, the party is holding a by-election – and is likely to get a third of all the votes. The same is the case down the entire coast. In 19 municipalities, the party is likely to get over 10 per cent of the vote – the vast majority in Vestland. In the industrial municipalities of Kvinnherad, Høyanger and Ullensvang, the party is among the largest. The same applies to Vanylven in Sunnmøre, where the party is the largest, with 19 percent of the vote. – Wow. Are you kidding? Is it true? Ann Jorun Hillersøy is the first candidate for INP in Bergen and on the county council in Vestland. She has difficulty absorbing the strong words. In six counties, including Westland, the newly started party is likely to get over 5 percent of the vote. In this way, the party can have a major impact in county politics as well. – This shows that the people want a change. For us, this is the first step towards the general election in two years. We want to have national control over power, and I think many people agree on that. These results show that, notes Hillersøy. BOMBE: INP is facing a by-election in Bømlo, with over 14 percent of the vote and the fourth largest party. Photo: Eli Bjelland / news Bomb in Sunnhordland The same applies to several municipalities located in the area, which currently have far more expensive electricity than the rest of Norway. In Bømlo, the party is the fourth largest with over 14 per cent of the vote. – This is absolutely fantastic. We go into this with a mixture of horror and joy, and may have signed up for a marathon without having trained that much, says Bente Spissøy, who is likely to join both the municipal council and the county council. Rejects cooperation with the Left and MDG In both Bergen, Stavanger and Oslo, the party was likely to end up on the edge, according to forecasts in August and September. In Bergen, the party is likely to get almost 4 percent of the vote. That is twice as many as first candidate Ann Jorun Hillersøy had hoped for. – It is very gratifying and more than expected. We had hoped to get one representative in, now we are likely to get three. This can of course change during the evening, but if I get over 4 percent, I’m really satisfied. Thus, the party may end up on the verge of what will be a very close election in Bergen. The municipal election summarized for the Industrial and Business Party Support Norway’s 0th largest party Change compared to 2019 The party has previously refused to cooperate with the MDGs. On election night, Hillersøy states that the Liberal Party is also red tape for cooperation in Bergen and Vestland. – We rule out collaboration with Venstre and MDG. Our starting point is that we do not enter into any cooperation where it is relevant. The aim is to cooperate on a case-by-case basis, says Hillersøy. In Oslo, the party is likely to get just under 2 percent of the vote. It may be enough to tip the scales, and contribute to Waltherzøe being able to decide the power in the capital. – We have a lot of things we won’t celebrate. It is the wind power issue in particular that is very close to us. Then you also have the property tax, which is an important issue for us, says Waltherzøe. Thumbs down to Venstre also confirms party leader Owe Ingemann Waltherzøe to Dagbladet at INP’s vigil in Oslo on Monday evening. – In Oslo, they swing in and out of the city council. They can play a key role here as well. What do you think about it? – It is primarily gratifying for us to see that the sitting city council, which has slammed the door so emphatically for INP, is delivering a resignation that rarely has been delivered. JUBEL IN BODØ: INP is likely to get around 3 percent of the vote in Bodø. Photo: Kai Jæger Kristoffersen / news Rebellion and protest Cuts in taxes and duties. Withdrawal from the EEA. Halt in hall of Norwegian current on the Nord Pool exchange. No to development of wind power. This is one of the main issues of the party founded and led by Owe Ingemann Waltherzøe. In several strong industrial municipalities, especially in Western Norway, the newly started party has done well in the polls before the election. In June, election expert Johan Giertsen predicted in Bergens Tidende that the party would end up on the edge in several municipalities. That may be the case, as it appears on election night.
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The Industrial and Business Party (INP) into municipal councils across the country – news Vestland
