Almost a third of the Storting has made up its mind – a drop in the profile of the Conservative Party

Deputy leader Tina Bru, the veteran and ex-minister Linda Hofstad Helleland, the agricultural politician Lene Westgaard-Halle and the justice politician Sveinung Stensland.

They all have in common that they are prominent Conservative politicians who say thank you for being in the Storting next year.

Svein Harberg and Helge Orten also surrender. Thus, the Conservative Party loses many heavyweights despite the fact that the party appears to be making strong progress and may be on its way back to the government offices at the election next autumn.

Where the Conservative Party ended with 20.4 per cent and 36 mandates in 2021, the average of the April polls shows 26.4 per cent and 13 additional mandates. But there may be many new faces beyond that.

Processes underway

At the same time, young, local profiles such as Mathilde Tybring-Gjedde and Mari Holm Lønseth have announced that they are running for re-election for the party. So does former Storting President Tone W. Trøen.

Not least, party leader Erna Solberg has considered another term in the Storting, where she has been elected since 1989. In that case, it will be her tenth term.

The parties’ nomination processes ahead of next year’s general election are slowly getting under way. In several parties, the candidates have until May to answer whether they want to run or not.

The Labor Party also has big names giving up. Former Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt will spend the next few years in Washington as Norway’s ambassador. Eigil Knutsen recently announced that he does not wish to be re-elected and also resigned from his heavy position as head of the Storting’s finance committee.

Former minister and deputy leader Hadia Tajik also declines the nomination from Rogaland.

Away Moe gives up

Veterans such as Eva Kristin Hansen (Sør-Trøndelag) and Kari Henriksen (Vest-Agder) are also ending their parliamentary careers.

At the same time, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announces that he is taking another term. Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery will stand, probably with the intention of moving up from the deputy position she holds today.

At government partner the Center Party, there are very few names that have come out with public feedback. Former minister Ola Borten Moe already announced in August last year that he would not stand for re-election, and on Friday the same message came from Jenny Klinge. However, their colleague Sigbjørn Gjelsvik is taking a new term in the Storting.

SW peaks give way

For Fremskrittspartiet, there are three veterans who are resigning. Roy Steffensen and Terje Halleland (Rogaland) announced that they are giving up already in January. Christian Tybring-Gjedde has also said that he is ending parliamentary life.

Party leader Sylvi Listhaug and deputy leader Hans Andreas Limi both intend to continue and bring along names such as Erlend Wiborg, Himanshu Gulati and Helge André Njåstad.

Former SV leader Audun Lysbakken and heavyweight Kari Elisabeth Kaski have both said they are giving up on the Storting. The only person from the party who has announced that she is running for re-election is deputy leader Marian Hussein.

Demanding job in Venstre

At Venstre, the nomination committee in Oslo has a demanding job ahead of it. Today, party leader Guri Melby and former deputy leader Ola Elvestuen have permanent seats from the capital.

Grunde Almeland has an equalization mandate and is also head of the family and culture committee and has been widely featured in the media for his work with the competence cases in the control and constitution committee.

All three have announced that they are standing for re-election, and despite good polls for the Liberal Party, they are not in line for more than two safe seats in Oslo.

Many ministers have not reported

The only Rødt politician who has spoken publicly regarding re-election is Sofie Marhaug, who says she is running once more. The same is done by KrF leader Olaug Bollestad, while MDG veteran Rasmus Hansson announces that he is giving up.

All this leaves over 100 names. Among the names we find the party leaders Kirsti Bergstø and Marie Sneve Martinussen, ministers such as Espen Barth Eide, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum and Emilie Enger Mehl – and the president of the Storting Masud Gharahkhani himself.

In addition, there are a total of eight ministers in the current government who do not currently sit in the Storting.