– Imagine that the oil discovered by Norway has a cooling effect on the planet?
Party leader Arild Hermstad’s witty comedy was met with laughter and applause from the audience.
This weekend, members of the Green Party (MDG) gathered for a national meeting in Fornebu, outside Oslo.
It was clear from the start that Hermstad’s main message was that Norway needs to take the climate crisis seriously.
– When the UN Secretary-General clearly states that oil and gas exploration must be stopped, the same applies to the Norwegian government, he said.
Great expectations are attached to Hermstadt’s first party leader’s speech.
He was briefly elected as the party’s new leader in November 2022. At the time, he promised to hold a “fallback election” in local elections in the fall of 2023, defying the ban on the party.
Goes to the option of low co-payments
– The party leader emphasized in the national meeting that one of the important issues for us across the country is to reduce public transport prices.
He added that it is a climate action with many positive effects.
– It is a measure that will give many people on very low incomes a better chance of living. This will result in cleaner air, less road traffic, more pleasant towns and villages, better public health and lower climate emissions.
He pointed out that the MDG has already gained traction for its low co-payments in several places with local authorities such as Akershus, Vestland and Oslo.
– That is why we are going to the polls on the best and cheapest public transport services in all the districts of the country.
Debate on climate policy
The party has had internal debates about what kind of role climate policy should play in the environmental party.
The party was characterized by shock and disappointment after the 2021 general elections. It was MDG’s best election result, but expectations were too high.
Many thought this would be the party’s biggest breakthrough, but they ended up below the threshold and had to deal with three representatives in the Storting and much less power than expected.
Later, an internal report showed that MDG appeared to be a “one-issue party” talking only about the climate crisis.
As a result, many members wanted to speak up and talk about things other than the climate, while others feared losing their identity as the country’s greenest party.
At the same time, the party faces local elections at a time with less climate certainty than it has in a long time, as many polls suggest.
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