The 1994 national convention of the Progress Party of Norway was held from 15 April to 17 April at the hotel Bolkesjø Turisthotell in Bolkesjø, Telemark. It was originally set up to be a normal convention with 157 delegates in a non-election year, but because of mounting antagonism between a traditionalist and a libertarian faction, it became clear some months before the conventions that personal positions could be at stake. The party leader seat, held by Carl I. Hagen since 1978, was up for re-election. The deputy leaders Ellen Wibe and Hans J. Røsjorde was not up for election until 1995, but there were talks about forming a motion of no confidence against Wibe. The political disagreements roughly corresponded to a cleavage between two factions.
The traditionalist (also called populist) faction was represented by party leader Carl I. Hagen, Jan Simonsen, Fridtjof Frank Gundersen, Vidar Kleppe, Øystein Hedstrøm, Lodve Solholm and Eli Hagen. The libertarians of the party were first and foremost the deputy leader Ellen Wibe and four members of Parliament (by some called the "band of four"), Ellen Christine Christiansen, Oscar D. Hillgaar, Roy N. Wetterstad and Stephen Bråthen. Buskerud county leader Geir Thoresen, Akershus county leader Per Aage Pleym Christensen and Youth of the Progress Party leader Lars Erik Grønntun were other prominent libertarians. Both during the preceding months and on the opening day, resolutions were passed which ensured full dominance for Carl I. Hagen and the policies of his faction. Wibe resigned as deputy leader, and Carl I. Hagen's men (there were no women left in the leadership) also dominated the new central committee. The personal issues totally overshadowed the regular political debate, and as early as on 17 April the convention was famously dubbed as the "national convention at Dolkesjø"—derived from "dolk", the Norwegian word for dagger.
In April and May, the Progress Party lost several members, including former members of Parliament and four current members of Parliament. In July the Youth of the Progress Party dissolved itself in protest of the events; however, a new, loyal organization immediately surfaced. Some of the withdrawn members joined the Conservative Party of Norway, others joined an entirely new organization (originally with the narrow intention to support the four parliamentarians), the quasi-political party Free Democrats.
Run-up.
Before 1994.
The 1993 national convention was harmonic. The newspaper "Verdens Gang" remarked that both "the libertarians and the populists cheered" after Carl I. Hagen's speeches. Jan Simonsen stepped down as deputy leader, and Ellen Wibe succeeded him, being one of the very few women in the Progress Party's leadership.
There were some tensions, however. Finn Thoresen left the party in November 1992, and later formed New Future Coalition Party. More importantly, because of disagreements in 1992 and 1993, pertaining to libertarianism in general and especially the European Union question, several libertarians that had entered the Progress Party in the 1980s ceased their activity in the party. MPs Tor Mikkel Wara and Petter Bjørheim announced their intentions to leave politics after the end of their terms, as did Pål Atle Skjervengen. Jan Erik Fåne tried to win renomination, but the nomination meeting in Akershus put traditionalist Fridtjof Frank Gundersen on top of the ballot. Fåne was offered the second spot, but pulled out. Eight months later it turned out that holding the second spot on the ballot did indeed give a Parliament seat.
The issue of libertarianism became more pressing in the campaign for the 1993 Norwegian parliamentary election, when Carl I. Hagen said to "Verdens Gang" that he did not support cutting the income tax. This was not in line with official party policy, and Hagen did not confer with the party, stating that "I had to take an independent initiative". Ellen Wibe openly criticized the statement, so did former MP and tax spokesperson Steinar Maribo. The tax statement was later seen as the most important factor contributing to the growing Hagen—liberalist schism. In the election the Progress Party won ten seats, down from 22 in the 1989 election.
1 = Left the Progress Party as a result of the convention.
1994.
The year 1994 started with annual conventions in each county, scheduled between 15 January and 6 April. These conventions elected delegates to the national convention. Tension had mounted between party leader Carl I. Hagen and other factions in the party. Parts of the central committee were skeptical to Hagen's position and policies. In addition, the youth wing, Youth of the Progress Party, had experienced disagreements with the Hagen-led Progress Party. The leader of the Youth of the Progress Party, Lars Erik Grønntun, had been on the verge of stepping down, but was persuaded around the end of 1993 to run for re-election. Before the county conventions, Grønntun stated a desire for an extraordinary meeting between the party and its youth wing, where he wanted to "contribute to gathering the party and avoid any signs of a split".
On 3 January, Hagen presented a ten-point plan of action. It was to be sent to each county chapter, and supported or rejected at the county conventions. On 7 January, Ellen Wibe presented a competing plan of action together with Oscar Hillgaar, Ellen Christine Christiansen and Geir Thoresen. Wibe's plan criticized the party's organizational culture, communication and institutions. In an interview, Wibe said that the party was too similar to a "charismatic movement", and that she wanted more power to the central board (). Øystein Hedstrøm announced a possible motion of no confidence regarding Ellen Wibe's position as deputy party leader, even though she was not really up for election until 1995. Wibe replied that her intention was to gather the party.
County conventions and national board meeting.
In the weekend from 4 to 6 February, county conventions were held in eleven counties, including Hagen's native Oslo, and Buskerud, Finnmark, Telemark, Vest-Agder, Hordaland, Nordland, Østfold, Troms, Nord-Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. Hagen belonged to the Oslo chapter, but the leader of the chapter, Peter N. Myhre, stated beforehand that Hagen's proposal would probably be rejected. It was speculated that rejections could come from the Buskerud and Finnmark's conventions as well. On 7 February, Hagen confirmed his leadership candidacy for the electoral committee.
On 19 February, the party held a national board () meeting at Bolkesjø. Here, Hagen proposed to close the debate on "the party profile and choice of values", a motion which gained support from 11 of the 24 board members. Ellen Wibe was among the minority, but conceded for the time being. That way, the question was put down before reaching the national convention.
By then, fifteen county conventions had signalized support for Hagen. After the last convention, it was clear that one-third of the delegates had expressed support of Wibe. Before the national convention, Hagen stated in an interview that one "never can know what will happen during a Progress Party national convention".
Further preparations.
The next two months was a quiet period, and Øystein Hedstrøm stated that Wibe had taken a more responsible role, and thus there was no need for a motion of no confidence. News commentator Aslak Bonde remarked that the compromise reached by the factions was "unclear" and that antagonism could surface at the national convention. Wibe stated that her faction still intended to submit a resolution, a "constructive" proposal regarding tactical and organizational issues. Two days before the national convention, this resolution text had not been submitted to the county delegates. On the next day, the resolution text was commented in newspapers. "Aftenposten" remarked that Wibe's proposal was a "thorough criticism of Carl I. Hagen", among others in that it called for "a renewal of the party". It was signed by Oscar D. Hillgaar, Ellen Chr. Christiansen, Stephen Bråthen and Roy Wetterstad together with Wibe. "Verdens Gang" reported that Wibe would resign if not given a clear confidence as deputy leader. Wibe refuted this in "Aftenposten" on the next day; the newspaper believed that no party split would occur.
Another question of contention was the Progress Party's policy on Norwegian membership in the European Union. Reportedly, Carl I. Hagen wanted to postpone a decision on European Union policy from the national convention to a national board meeting in June. Others were not in favor of this. In an interview, Hagen stated that political parties should not agitate officially for one opinion or the other. He stated an indifference towards EU membership, and that if accessing the Union, Norway could always use a veto against EU policies when needed. Central board member Terje Sæbø submitted a competing resolution which opposed Norwegian membership.
Meeting.
Carl I. Hagen held the opening speech of the convention. The speech was interrupted by extensive applause nineteen times. In it, he stated:
Resolutions and withdrawals.
One of the first questions which was voted over, was the EU issue. Hagen formally submitted a proposal that the factual aspects of this issue should not be debated, and this was passed with 113 against 44 votes.
The EU vote directly caused Ellen Wibe to step down as deputy party leader, stating that she did "not fully understand the new profile of the party". If not stepping down, she would compromise "values and principles" that were essential in order to "live with [her]self as a human being". The announcement followed a private meeting between Wibe, Hagen, Røsjorde and Grønntun. Allegedly, Tor Mikkel Wara had advised her to resign. Ellen Christine Christiansen stepped down from her position in the central board, leaving Grønntun as the only clear libertarian. Grønntun stated that young party members would not tolerate to be "stepped on and hectored with ["sic"]" forever. More generally, the losing faction signalized a desire to continue promoting a liberal political profile, but in a less dramatic way.
Immediately after Wibe's announcement, Jan Simonsen entered the chair and spoke strongly in favor of Hagen. Fridtjof Frank Gundersen applauded the end of "women's bickering" in the party leadership. Hagen's main resolution proposal, titled "En fremtid med rot i fortiden", was passed with 94 against 50 votes. He also received support for prioritizing anti-immigration higher in the following period. In his closing speech, Hagen stated that "disloyal" behavior would be considered as "active withdrawal" from the party. From the rostrum, the "band of four" was even asked to withdraw by several delegates, including Bjørn Andreassen, Gustav Hareide and Frøydis Lange. Andreassen exclaimed that "we don't want you", while Lange asked the band of four to form a new party called the Anarchist Party.
The central board held an extraordinary meeting on 17 April, during a pre-scheduled break in the convention. The central board of the Youth of the Progress Party also met, and agreed to support the "band of four". Their decision was not final until an extraordinary national board meeting could be held. It was speculated that members of the youth wing could leave the Progress Party en masse.
New deputy leader.
After Wibe's resignation, Jan Simonsen was mentioned as an, albeit unlikely, candidate to succeed Wibe. Vidar Kleppe was also mentioned, while traditionalist John Alvheim was regarded by newspapers as a more likely candidate. On Saturday 16 April, it became clear that the vote stood between the Peter N. Myhre and Lodve Solholm. Myhre was the candidate put forward by the electoral committee, and had support among the libertarians, who did not field their own candidate. On 17 April, Solholm won the vote with 90 against 58; 8 ballots were blank. Carl I. Hagen was re-elected with 113 against 0 votes, and with 44 blank ballots. One libertarian, former MP Terje Nyberget, who described the convention as a "genocide", was elected to the national board.
Aftermath.
Political scientist Frank Aarebrot summed up the convention turmoil in the following way:
Band of four defect.
Already on the second day of the convention it was speculated that the "band of four", four libertarian-leaning members of Parliament, considered leaving the party. The four were Oscar D. Hillgaar, Roy Wetterstad, Ellen Christine Christiansen and Stephen Bråthen. The alternative to leaving the party was to mark themselves as dissenting party members. On the third day, news surfaced that the four had talked together. In the news program "Dagsrevyen" on 17 April, the band of four stated a desire to follow the 1993 party platform and not later resolutions. They were met by a demand from Carl I. Hagen that they continue on the "terms laid down by the national convention or find something else to do". He later added that if