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Christian People's Party (Norway)
Encyclopedia
The Christian Democratic Party (Bokmål
: Kristelig Folkeparti, Nynorsk
: Kristeleg Folkeparti, KrF), is a Christian Democratic Norwegian
political party
founded in 1933. The Norwegian name literally translates to Christian People's Party. The name may also be translated as "The People's Christian Party", thus not excluding non-Christian voters.
The party follow their European counterparts
in many ways, arguing that the state should care for its citizens but not get otherwise economically involved. In the late 1990s they positioned themselves as a family-friendly party. The party is an observer member of the European People's Party
(EPP).
Knut Arild Hareide
is the current leader of the party. Their leader from 1983 to 1995, Kjell Magne Bondevik
, was one of the most prominent political figures in modern Norway, serving as Prime Minister
from 1997 to 2000 and 2001 to 2005. Under the old leadership of Bondevik and Valgerd Svarstad Haugland
, the party was to some extent radicalized and moved towards the left. Due largely to their poor showing in the 2009 elections
, the party has seen a conflict between its conservative and liberal wings over which direction their political ideology should shift in the future.
, and abortion
, though it can support abortion in cases of rape
or when the mother's life is at risk. The party supports accessibility to contraception as a way of lowering abortion rates. They also want to ban research on human fetuses, and have expressed skepticism for proposals to liberalize the biotechnology laws in Norway. Bondevik's second government made the biotechnology laws of Norway among the strictest in the World, with support from the Socialist Left Party
and the Centre Party
, but in 2004 a case regarding a child with thalassemia
brought this law under fire. On gay rights issues, the party supports possibilities for gay couples to live together, but opposes gay marriage and gay adoption rights. The party maintains neutrality on the issue of gay clergy, calling that an issue for the church.
Since the party was established, a declaration of Christian faith has been required if a person is to be elected to a position of trust in the party. The increase of support from other religions, including Islam, have stimulated efforts to abolish this rule.
in the 1930s. Cultural and spiritual values were proposed as an alternative to political parties focusing on material values. The immediate cause of its foundation was the failure of Nils Lavik, a popular figure in the religious community, to be nominated as a candidate for Venstre
(the liberal party), for the parliamentary elections in 1933. In reaction to this, Kristelig Folkeparti was set up, with Lavik as their top candidate in the county of Hordaland
. He succeeded in being elected to Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament. No other counties were contested. At the next elections, in 1936, the party also ran in Bergen
, and succeeded in electing a representative from there as well. In 1945, at the first elections after the Nazi occupation of Norway, the party was organised on a nationwide basis, and won 8 seats.
KrF became part of a short-lived non-socialist coalition government along with Høyre (Conservatives), Venstre and Senterpartiet (Center Party) in 1963. At the elections of 1965, these four parties won a majority of seats in Stortinget and ruled in a coalition government from 1965 to 1971.
KrF opposed Norwegian membership in the European Community ahead of the referendum in 1972. The referendum gave a no-vote, and when the pro-EC Labour
government resigned, a coalition government was formed among the anti-EC parties, KrF, Venstre and Senterpartiet. Lars Korvald
became KrF's first prime minister for a year, until the elections of 1973 restored the Labour government.
The 1981 elections left the non-socialists with a majority in parliament, but negotiations for a coalition government failed because of disagreement over the abortion issue. However, this issue was later toned down, and from 1983 to 1986, and from 1989 to 1990 KrF was part of coalitions with Høyre and Senterpartiet.
In 1997 KrF received 13.7% of the votes, and got 25 seats in the Storting.
Kjell Magne Bondevik
served as prime minister in 1997-2000, in coalition with Venstre and Senterpartiet, and then in 2001-2005 with Venstre and Høyre.
In the 2005 election KrF received only 6.8%, and the party became part of the opposition in the Storting.
with 18.9% of the vote, compared to a national average of 6.8%.
As a party centered around Christian values, the party obviously draws support from the Christian population. Their policies supporting Christian values, and opposing same-sex marriage appeal to the more conservative religious base. The main rival in the competition for conservative Christian votes has been the Progress Party
, whose support of Israel has been more consistent.
KrF has also sought support among the Muslim
minority in Norway, pointing to their restrictive policies on alcohol and pornography, although party's support for Israel concerns several Muslim voters.
¹KrF ran on mutual lists with other parties in some constituencies. This figure is an estimate by Statistics Norway.
Bokmål
Bokmål is one of two official Norwegian written standard languages, the other being Nynorsk. Bokmål is used by 85–90% of the population in Norway, and is the standard most commonly taught to foreign students of the Norwegian language....
: Kristelig Folkeparti, Nynorsk
Nynorsk
Nynorsk or New Norwegian is one of two official written standards for the Norwegian language, the other being Bokmål. The standard language was created by Ivar Aasen during the mid-19th century, to provide a Norwegian alternative to the Danish language which was commonly written in Norway at the...
: Kristeleg Folkeparti, KrF), is a Christian Democratic Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
founded in 1933. The Norwegian name literally translates to Christian People's Party. The name may also be translated as "The People's Christian Party", thus not excluding non-Christian voters.
The party follow their European counterparts
Christian Democracy
Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
in many ways, arguing that the state should care for its citizens but not get otherwise economically involved. In the late 1990s they positioned themselves as a family-friendly party. The party is an observer member of the European People's Party
European People's Party
The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
(EPP).
Knut Arild Hareide
Knut Arild Hareide
Knut Arild Hareide is a Norwegian businessperson and the leader of the Christian Democratic Party. Hareide served as Minister of the Environment from 2004 to 2005...
is the current leader of the party. Their leader from 1983 to 1995, Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II...
, was one of the most prominent political figures in modern Norway, serving as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Norway
The Prime Minister of Norway is the political leader of Norway and the Head of His Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Stortinget , to their political party, and ultimately the...
from 1997 to 2000 and 2001 to 2005. Under the old leadership of Bondevik and Valgerd Svarstad Haugland
Valgerd Svarstad Haugland
Valgerd Svarstad Haugland is a former Minister of Culture and Church Affairs and former leader of the Christian Democratic Party in Norway between 1995 and 2004, to which also former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik belongs....
, the party was to some extent radicalized and moved towards the left. Due largely to their poor showing in the 2009 elections
Norwegian parliamentary election, 2009
The 2009 parliamentary election was held in Norway on 14 September 2009. Elections in Norway are held on a Monday in September, usually the second or third Monday, as determined by the king. Early voting was possible between 10 August and 11 September 2009, while some municipalities held open...
, the party has seen a conflict between its conservative and liberal wings over which direction their political ideology should shift in the future.
Political views
In social policy the Christian Democratic Party generally have conservative opinions. On life issues, the party opposes euthanasiaEuthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
, and abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, though it can support abortion in cases of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
or when the mother's life is at risk. The party supports accessibility to contraception as a way of lowering abortion rates. They also want to ban research on human fetuses, and have expressed skepticism for proposals to liberalize the biotechnology laws in Norway. Bondevik's second government made the biotechnology laws of Norway among the strictest in the World, with support from the Socialist Left Party
Socialist Left Party (Norway)
The Socialist Left Party or SV, is a Norwegian left-wing political party. At one point one of the smallest parties in Parliament, it became the fourth-largest political party in Norway for the first time in the 2001 parliamentary election, and has been so ever since...
and the Centre Party
Centre Party (Norway)
The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...
, but in 2004 a case regarding a child with thalassemia
Thalassemia
Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease that originated in the Mediterranean region. In thalassemia the genetic defect, which could be either mutation or deletion, results in reduced rate of synthesis or no synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin...
brought this law under fire. On gay rights issues, the party supports possibilities for gay couples to live together, but opposes gay marriage and gay adoption rights. The party maintains neutrality on the issue of gay clergy, calling that an issue for the church.
Since the party was established, a declaration of Christian faith has been required if a person is to be elected to a position of trust in the party. The increase of support from other religions, including Islam, have stimulated efforts to abolish this rule.
History
KrF was founded as a reaction to the growing secularism in NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in the 1930s. Cultural and spiritual values were proposed as an alternative to political parties focusing on material values. The immediate cause of its foundation was the failure of Nils Lavik, a popular figure in the religious community, to be nominated as a candidate for Venstre
Venstre (Norway)
The Liberal Party is a centrist liberal political party in Norway. The party is the oldest in the country, and has enacted reforms such as parliamentarism, freedom of religion, universal suffrage and free education. Since 2010, the leader of the party is Trine Skei Grande...
(the liberal party), for the parliamentary elections in 1933. In reaction to this, Kristelig Folkeparti was set up, with Lavik as their top candidate in the county of Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
. He succeeded in being elected to Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament. No other counties were contested. At the next elections, in 1936, the party also ran in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, and succeeded in electing a representative from there as well. In 1945, at the first elections after the Nazi occupation of Norway, the party was organised on a nationwide basis, and won 8 seats.
KrF became part of a short-lived non-socialist coalition government along with Høyre (Conservatives), Venstre and Senterpartiet (Center Party) in 1963. At the elections of 1965, these four parties won a majority of seats in Stortinget and ruled in a coalition government from 1965 to 1971.
KrF opposed Norwegian membership in the European Community ahead of the referendum in 1972. The referendum gave a no-vote, and when the pro-EC Labour
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
government resigned, a coalition government was formed among the anti-EC parties, KrF, Venstre and Senterpartiet. Lars Korvald
Lars Korvald
was a Norwegian politician from the Christian Democratic Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1972 to 1973, leading the cabinet that took over when Trygve Bratteli resigned in the wake of the first referendum over Norway's membership in the European Economic Community.-Early life and...
became KrF's first prime minister for a year, until the elections of 1973 restored the Labour government.
The 1981 elections left the non-socialists with a majority in parliament, but negotiations for a coalition government failed because of disagreement over the abortion issue. However, this issue was later toned down, and from 1983 to 1986, and from 1989 to 1990 KrF was part of coalitions with Høyre and Senterpartiet.
In 1997 KrF received 13.7% of the votes, and got 25 seats in the Storting.
Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II...
served as prime minister in 1997-2000, in coalition with Venstre and Senterpartiet, and then in 2001-2005 with Venstre and Høyre.
In the 2005 election KrF received only 6.8%, and the party became part of the opposition in the Storting.
Voter base
Geographically, the Christian Democrats enjoy their strongest support on the south coast. In the 2005 elections, their best results were in Vest-AgderVest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
with 18.9% of the vote, compared to a national average of 6.8%.
As a party centered around Christian values, the party obviously draws support from the Christian population. Their policies supporting Christian values, and opposing same-sex marriage appeal to the more conservative religious base. The main rival in the competition for conservative Christian votes has been the Progress Party
Progress Party
Progress Party may refer to:* Gabonese Progress Party, political party in Gabon* German Progress Party, the first modern political party with a program in Germany...
, whose support of Israel has been more consistent.
KrF has also sought support among the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
minority in Norway, pointing to their restrictive policies on alcohol and pornography, although party's support for Israel concerns several Muslim voters.
Table of parliamentary election results
| Year | Percentage of votes | Members of the Storting elected |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1936 | 1.3% | 2 |
| 1945 | 7.9% | 8 |
| 1949 | 8.5%¹ | 9 |
| 1953 | 10.5% | 14 |
| 1957 | 10.2% | 12 |
| 1961 | 9.6%¹ | 15 |
| 1965 | 8.1%¹ | 13 |
| 1969 | 9.4%¹ | 14 |
| 1973 | 12.2%¹ | 20 |
| 1977 | 12.4%¹ | 22 |
| 1981 | 9.4%¹ | 15 |
| 1985 | 8.3% | 16 |
| 1989 | 8.5% | 14 |
| 1993 | 7.9% | 13 |
| 1997 | 13.7% | 25 |
| 2001 | 12.4% | 22 |
| 2005 | 6.8% | 11 |
| 2009 | 5.5% | 10 |
¹KrF ran on mutual lists with other parties in some constituencies. This figure is an estimate by Statistics Norway.
List of party leaders
- Nils Lavik (1938–51)
- Erling WikborgErling WikborgErling Wikborg was a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus in 1945, and was re-elected from Oslo on two occasions....
(1951–55) - Einar HareideEinar HareideEinar Hareide was a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party.He was born in Ålesund.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Møre og Romsdal in 1945, and was re-elected on four occasions....
(1955–67) - Lars KorvaldLars Korvaldwas a Norwegian politician from the Christian Democratic Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1972 to 1973, leading the cabinet that took over when Trygve Bratteli resigned in the wake of the first referendum over Norway's membership in the European Economic Community.-Early life and...
(1967–75) - Kåre KristiansenKåre KristiansenKåre Gudbrand Kristiansen was a Norwegian politician active in the Christian People's Party. Noted as a conservative within his own party, he was known to take controversial positions at odds with the prevailing consensus.Kristiansen was born in Bergen, the son of a lay preacher. Both his parents...
(1975–77) - Lars KorvaldLars Korvaldwas a Norwegian politician from the Christian Democratic Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1972 to 1973, leading the cabinet that took over when Trygve Bratteli resigned in the wake of the first referendum over Norway's membership in the European Economic Community.-Early life and...
(1977–79) - Kåre KristiansenKåre KristiansenKåre Gudbrand Kristiansen was a Norwegian politician active in the Christian People's Party. Noted as a conservative within his own party, he was known to take controversial positions at odds with the prevailing consensus.Kristiansen was born in Bergen, the son of a lay preacher. Both his parents...
(1979–83) - Kjell Magne BondevikKjell Magne BondevikKjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II...
(1983–95) - Valgerd Svarstad HauglandValgerd Svarstad HauglandValgerd Svarstad Haugland is a former Minister of Culture and Church Affairs and former leader of the Christian Democratic Party in Norway between 1995 and 2004, to which also former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik belongs....
(1995–2004) - Dagfinn HøybråtenDagfinn HøybråtenDagfinn Høybråten , is a Norwegian politician and the former leader of the Christian Democratic Party. He was the director of the National Insurance Administration from 1997 to 2004, but barely attended to the position because he was a government minister in Bondevik's First Cabinet from 1997 to...
(2004–11) - Knut Arild HareideKnut Arild HareideKnut Arild Hareide is a Norwegian businessperson and the leader of the Christian Democratic Party. Hareide served as Minister of the Environment from 2004 to 2005...
(2011–present)