After the case about her husband’s share trading, several people have asked whether Erna Solberg can be party leader and candidate for prime minister in 2025. – It is a question that is up to the Supreme Court to decide, Solberg herself told news last week. The right-wing leader still has broad confidence in the party. It has also been discussed whether the share case would affect the election if it had been known earlier. Recent figures in a party poll from Norstat now show that voters do not punish Høgre in the municipalities because of Solberg’s disqualification problems. National municipal poll September 2023 What would you vote for if there were local elections now? Compared with the election results from earlier this month. 0.34.1%INP+1.14.0%MDG−0.23.4%R−0.13.0%KRF−1.05.3%Other−1.0Click on the party circle to see the full party name . Based on 996 interviews conducted in the period 21.9.23–27.9.23. Margins of error from 1.3–3.5 pp. Source: Norstat Høgre had 25.9% support in the municipal election this year and became the largest party in the country. Since then, the party has actually progressed by 1.5 percentage points, according to the survey Norstat has done for news and Aftenposten. As usual soon after an election, the changes are minimal. Høgre’s progress is also within the statistical margin of error. But one can safely say that Høgre’s local party team will in any case not be punished when people answer what they would vote for in the municipal elections. – I see that we have got many mayors now, and a lot of cooperation. I think it follows a good trend from a long election campaign. I also think that people are able to distinguish between my competence and the effort the party is making otherwise, says Erna Solberg. Erna Solberg during an interview with news last week. Photo: Lars Thomas Nordby – I think perhaps that most voters, regardless of who they vote for, place more emphasis on the content of politics and issues that matter to people’s lives and everyday life, than on these issues. I am deeply sorry for these matters for which my husband and I are responsible, adds Solberg. – Surprising Svein Erik Tuastad, election researcher at the University of Stavanger, says the speech surprises him. – This means two things. Erna Solberg and Høgre have handled the case very well. Another is that the Høgre voters accept Erna Solberg’s explanations. Svein Erik Tuastad, election researcher at the University of Stavanger, believes that the figures show that Høgre has handled the matter well. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news – The press conference Solberg held was brilliant. The criticism of Høgre and Solberg is probably from those who have a particular political interest, and not for the average man and woman. – I am surprised. I thought that the new voters for Høgre were going to be disappointed that Høgre doesn’t have things in order. Until then, more measurements are needed. Tuastad says that Solberg has strong authority, not least within the party. A week after Erna Solberg held her first press conference, she presents herself for an interview. – In the interview with news, Erna Solberg seemed credible. I think that plays a role here. The Labor Party is stable in the latest poll. The party goes back 0.2 percentage points. – Have the competence cases happened to Høgre and the Labor Party differently? – Yes, I think so. There have been many integrity cases in the Labor Party. Many of them at the worst possible time in the middle of the election campaign, as with Huitfeldt. It stole energy and attention, says Tuastad. Sympathy effect Johannes Bergh, electoral researcher at the Department of Social Research, is also surprised that Høgre is proceeding with the surveys. – I was surprised. Høgre has been through a dramatic time in Norwegian politics. The fact that it does not affect the voters is surprising. Johannes Bergh, election researcher at the Institute for Social Research, says that Erna Solberg has become a more polarizing politician. Photo: Hina Jalil / news Bergh says that voters have reacted differently to the competency cases of the Labor Party and Høgre. – It is different to be in opposition and position. Ap’s competence cases have fit into a criticism that is already there. For Høgre, some voters will probably think that Høgre has gone too far. Therefore, there has been a sympathy effect. He also says that his view of Solberg may have changed. – Erna has had a unique position in Norwegian politics, a bit Teflon-like. I think that is still the case, perhaps not among their own, but among the voters anyway. She has become a more polarizing politician, says Bergh. Greater importance in parliamentary polls Norstat has also asked voters what they would vote for if there was a parliamentary poll. Here the picture is a little different. On the parliamentary question, Høgre goes back a little, while the Labor Party makes a small gain when compared to the previous parliamentary poll, which was conducted in its entirety at the end of August. Høgre is still clearly the largest party. But here, too, the changes are within the margin of error. National party barometer general election What would you vote for if there was a general election now? Compared to the Storting survey conducted at the beginning of September. +0,85,3%R−0,43,8%MDG−0,63,2%INP+1,33,0%KRF−0,23,5%Andre+0,1Click on the partition circle to see the whole the party name. Based on 992 interviews conducted in the period 21.9.23–27.9.23. Margins of error from 1.2–3.3 pp. Source: Norstat news has not previously published the parliamentary poll to which it is compared. In the election year and up until this poll, news has emphasized what voters will vote for in their municipality. Going forward, news will once again place emphasis on what voters will vote for in parliamentary elections. Distribution of seats in the Storting Number of representatives if the poll was a parliamentary election. HøreH50+14ArbeiderpartietAP42−6FremskrittspartietFRP22+1Socialist Liberal PartySV16+3Centre PartySP13−15RedR10+2VenstreV10+2Environmental Party Green MDG30Christian People’s PartyKRF2−1Industrial and Business PartyINP1+1AndreANDRE00−1992 interviews conducted in the period 21.9.23–27.9.23. Margins of error from 1.2–3.3 pp. Source: Norstat
ttn-69
Voters do not punish Høgre for Solberg’s share case – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
