Confidence was at its highest during the pandemic, at 85 percent. Now the number is 67. – I think the number is surprisingly high, seen in light of all the scandals we have seen. I might have expected a bigger decline. So says Elisabeth Ivarsflaten, professor of comparative politics at the University of Bergen. She has looked at Norwegians’ trust in politicians from 2018 to the present day. It is based on data from the last decade, collected by the Norwegian Citizens’ Panel. Sebastian Hansvold (19) and Sigrid Nordby (20) are among those whose trust has weakened. – I have less confidence now after the revelations of, for example, the Sindre Finnes case, says Sebastian. Sigrid Nordby is also critical. – That has not changed, I have always been critical of people in positions of power. Is it to be trusted?, he asks. Scandals in line Ivarsflaten calls the last decade “turbulent”. From 2013 to 2023, several cases have come to light that have seen politicians in a negative light. Among other things, prominent politicians have submitted false travel invoices, there have been several metoo scandals and cases linked to commuter housing. In 2023, a long line of politicians have stood in the storm as a result of, among other things, disqualification and share purchases. During the decade there has also been a refugee crisis and a pandemic. Then the war in Ukraine broke out. – During the pandemic, confidence was very high, and we were “rallied around the flag”, but then it goes down. I think it is about all the negative things we have seen. They have come on a continuous bandwagon and many different parties at national level have been involved. Elisabeth Ivarsflaten is a professor at the University of Bergen. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news Called warning this summer Trude Basso is a municipal councilor for the Labor Party in Trondheim. Last summer, she expressed great concern about trust in politicians. “My trust in political Norway fell. I am sorry for that recognition,” she wrote on Twitter/X. – How is it to see that people have actually weakened trust in politicians? – I am not surprised. I have been surprised that the cases have had so little impact on the opinion polls. The report states, among other things, that the clean-up work that has taken place after the cases, as well as the consequences for the individual politician, may have had “a dampening effect” when it comes to trust. Trude Basso is a local politician for Ap in Trondheim. After the many political scandals Photo: Stein Roar Leite Many sit on the “trust fence” The results show that those with low education, those who do not use the right to vote, protest voters and those who are not satisfied with the development of society have the lowest trust. – This is something I worry about, says Professor Ivarsflaten. She still thinks there is no reason to worry about democracy just yet. – It is one thing that some politicians have a poor understanding of their role, but what we are worried about is that an image is being established that politics in Norway is corrupt. Ivarsflaten says trust is fragile. – One has to be careful now. What we see in our numbers is that many are in a sense sitting on the trust fence and have some trust, but by no means a lot of trust. Does it actually mean anything that people have weakened trust in politicians? Yes, says the local politician. – It is very unfortunate that trust is declining. Always acting in line with what people expect is extremely important. And then we have to put an end to these cases, says Basso. With some of those news meets on the streets, trust has already been lost. – I think it is important to take responsibility when they make mistakes, says Sebastian. Odd Arne Braute is also skeptical. – I don’t trust politicians. Trust is difficult to reverse, no matter what it is. Odd Arne Braute is skeptical of Norwegian politicians. Photo: Julianne Flølo
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Weakened trust in politicians – scandals are to blame – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
