1995 Norwegian League meeting at Godlia kino
Encyclopedia
The 1995 Norwegian Association meeting at Godlia kino was a meeting that was held on 2 September 1995, right before the electoral campaign for the 1995 local elections
. The meeting was attended by many nationalist and far-right organisations, but gained notoriety because the profiled Progress Party
Member of Parliament Øystein Hedstrøm
was revealed to have been present and held a speech at the meeting.
On 3 September 1995, the newspaper Dagbladet
published photos of Hedstrøm holding a speech about immigration at an allegedly secret meeting at the movie theatre Godlia kino in Oslo
. The journalists who had investigated the meeting were Arne O. Holm, Cato Vogt-Kielland and Thor Gjermund Eriksen
. The meeting, which went under the name "Year of the grasshoppers" (Gresshoppenes år), was attended by 24 persons, including Bastian Heide, Jack Erik Kjuus
, Bjarne Dahl, Erik Gjems-Onstad
and Hege Søfteland
. The initiator to the meeting was the nationalist organisation the Norwegian Association (Den Norske Forening), which was led by Torfinn Hellandsvik.
The newspaper bulletin created shockwaves into the political community. The Progress Party chairman, Carl I. Hagen
, had not known that Hedstrøm had participated at the meeting. Hagen immediately quieted Hedstrøm, and distanced himself from the Norwegian Association. Hedstrøm was also stripped of his position as Spokesperson of Immigration Issues. Hagen stated that "Hedstrøm has made a big mistake", and Hedstrøm withdrew from the public scene.
After a few days, Hagen changed his opinion and stated that Hedstrøm had done nothing else than attending the meeting as a private person. It also reached surface that other politicians from the Progress Party, such as Deputy Chairman Vidar Kleppe
, and Member of Parliament Fridtjof Frank Gundersen
had also attented meetings hosted by the Norwegian Association. According to the newspaper Aftenposten
, Hedstrøm had also had long-term contact with organisations such as the Fatherland Party
and Stop Immigration
. It also became known that the leader of the Norwegian Association, Torfinn Hellandsvik, had been the premise supplier for a parliamentary document about immigration that Hedstrøm had prepared.
The attention around this case, together with focus on immigration, resulted in a markedly increased support for the Progress Party in the 1995 local elections.
Norwegian local elections, 1995
Country-wide local elections for seats in municipality and county councils were held throughout Norway in 1995. For most places this meant that two elections, the municipal elections and the county elections ran concurrently.-Municipal elections:...
. The meeting was attended by many nationalist and far-right organisations, but gained notoriety because the profiled Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
Member of Parliament Øystein Hedstrøm
Øystein Hedstrøm
Øystein Hedstrøm is a Norwegian politician. He was a Member of Parliament from Østfold for the Progress Party from 1989 to 2005, after which he declined renomination.-Early and personal life:...
was revealed to have been present and held a speech at the meeting.
On 3 September 1995, the newspaper Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
published photos of Hedstrøm holding a speech about immigration at an allegedly secret meeting at the movie theatre Godlia kino in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. The journalists who had investigated the meeting were Arne O. Holm, Cato Vogt-Kielland and Thor Gjermund Eriksen
Thor Gjermund Eriksen
Thor Gjermund Eriksen is a Norwegian journalist and editor.Born in Oslo, he was hired as a journalist in Dagbladet in 1995, and later became chief editor from 2003 to 2006. After leaving, he was hired in A-pressen. He is also chairman of the board of Nettavisen and a board member in TV 2.He has...
. The meeting, which went under the name "Year of the grasshoppers" (Gresshoppenes år), was attended by 24 persons, including Bastian Heide, Jack Erik Kjuus
Jack Erik Kjuus
Jack Erik Kjuus was a Norwegian far-right politician of the former White Electoral Alliance who was convicted of racism in 1997...
, Bjarne Dahl, Erik Gjems-Onstad
Erik Gjems-Onstad
Erik-Ørn Gjems-Onstad, MBE was a Norwegian resistance member, officer, lawyer, politician and anti-immigration activist. When Nazi Germany invaded Norway in 1940, Gjems-Onstad travelled to England to join the Norwegian resistance movement...
and Hege Søfteland
Hege Søfteland
Hege Søfteland is a Norwegian nationalist politician and immigration opponent.A former member of the Conservative Party and Progress Party, she has since the late 1980s been present in numerous anti-immigration, far-right and nationalist parties...
. The initiator to the meeting was the nationalist organisation the Norwegian Association (Den Norske Forening), which was led by Torfinn Hellandsvik.
The newspaper bulletin created shockwaves into the political community. The Progress Party chairman, Carl I. Hagen
Carl I. Hagen
Carl Ivar Hagen is a Norwegian politician and former Vice President of the Norwegian Parliament. He was the chairman of the Progress Party from 1978 until 2006, when Siv Jensen replaced him as chairman of the party...
, had not known that Hedstrøm had participated at the meeting. Hagen immediately quieted Hedstrøm, and distanced himself from the Norwegian Association. Hedstrøm was also stripped of his position as Spokesperson of Immigration Issues. Hagen stated that "Hedstrøm has made a big mistake", and Hedstrøm withdrew from the public scene.
After a few days, Hagen changed his opinion and stated that Hedstrøm had done nothing else than attending the meeting as a private person. It also reached surface that other politicians from the Progress Party, such as Deputy Chairman Vidar Kleppe
Vidar Kleppe
Vidar Sveinung Kleppe is a Norwegian politician. He was a Member of Parliament and deputy chairman of the Progress Party until being suspended and left the party in 2001...
, and Member of Parliament Fridtjof Frank Gundersen
Fridtjof Frank Gundersen
Fridtjof Frank Gundersen was a Norwegian professor of jurisprudence and politician. He worked as a lector at the Faculty of Law of the University of Oslo from 1965 to 1975...
had also attented meetings hosted by the Norwegian Association. According to the newspaper Aftenposten
Aftenposten
Aftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007...
, Hedstrøm had also had long-term contact with organisations such as the Fatherland Party
Fatherland Party (Norway)
The Fatherland Party was a political party in Norway, which was founded by former local Progress Party politician Harald Trefall in 1990. Primarily based in Western Norway, the party supported nationalist positions such as opposition to immigration and the European Union...
and Stop Immigration
Stop Immigration
Stop Immigration was a political party in Norway, founded by Jack Erik Kjuus in 1987. The party was never particularly successful, and its only elected representative was in the Drammen city council, in both 1991 and 1995. The party was succeeded by the White Electoral Alliance in...
. It also became known that the leader of the Norwegian Association, Torfinn Hellandsvik, had been the premise supplier for a parliamentary document about immigration that Hedstrøm had prepared.
The attention around this case, together with focus on immigration, resulted in a markedly increased support for the Progress Party in the 1995 local elections.