Liberalistene

Capitalist Party
Liberalistene
AbbreviationLib
LeaderArnt Rune Flekstad
SecretaryOddbjørn Sjursen
Founded7 April 2014
Registered2016
Dissolved2025[1]
Preceded byLiberal People's Party
HeadquartersOslo
Youth wingCapitalist Youth
(Liberalistisk Ungdom)
IdeologyClassical liberalism
Laissez-faire
Minarchism
Euroscepticism
Political positionRight-wing
International affiliationInternational Alliance of Libertarian Parties[2]
Interlibertarians[3]
Colours  Purple
SloganYour life, your choice!
(Ditt liv, ditt valg!)
Parliament
0 / 169
Regional Councils
0 / 728
Local Councils
0 / 10,781
Sámi Parliament
0 / 39
Website
www.liberalistene.org

The Capitalist Party (Norwegian Bokmål: Liberalistene; Nynorsk: Liberalistane; lit. "The Liberals")[4] is a political party in Norway. Founded in 2014 and officially registered in 2016, the party has established chapters in all counties and several municipalities throughout Norway.

Their ideological platform advocates for a minimal state, with governing principles based on Western constitutionalism and free market economic doctrine. The party is led by its central board (Sentralstyre), which has been chaired by Arnt Rune Flekstad since 2022. The party's youth wing is the Capitalist Youth (Liberalistisk Ungdom),[5] currently led by Carl Fredrik G. Løken. In 2017, the party took part in its first parliamentary election, where it participated through every electoral district in Norway. Two years later, it took part in its second municipal election in all counties, 42 municipalities, and 7 out of 15 city districts in Oslo.

Platform

Based on classical liberalism and Age of Enlightenment philosophies, the party advocates for a minimal state, where the responsibility of government is limited to administering the police, military, and justice system. The Capitalist Party believes that the state should be prohibited from compelling its electorate, and exists only to protect individuals from aggression, theft, and fraud. The essence of the Capitalist Party's policies relies on voluntary solutions, opposed to government mandated solutions. It firmly believes that voluntary solutions provide a better, cheaper and more effective alternative when providers of goods and services must compete in a market free of coercion.

In accordance with the party's motto, the foundation of this platform holds that an individual owns his or her own life, is responsible for his or her decisions and prosperity, and that each has the inherent right to autonomously pursue his or her private interests to the extent that those pursuits do not violate the rights of another.

With convictions firmly rooted in the values of Western constitutionalism, the Capitalist Party believes in the separation of powers between the three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. This system of checks and balances will, according to the party, ensure that personal freedoms are secure and will prevent the rise of statism.

Economically, the party is dedicated to laissez-faire,[6] which advocates for a free market, devoid of invasive regulations and taxation.[7] The party views individual sovereignty as an inalienable natural condition, and holds that regulatory practices impede upon self-determination and self-ownership, thereby inhibiting individual freedom and innovative productivity. To that end, people should collaborate freely, under peaceful and voluntary conditions, without the coercion of state intervention.[8]

Organisation and structure

The Capitalist Party was established in 2014.[9] Headquartered in Oslo, the party is organized in every Norwegian county.[10][11]

National leadership serves on the Central Executive Committee (sentralstyre), which currently includes leader Arnt Rune Flekstad, political deputy Jan-Øyvind Lorgen, and party secretary Oddbjørn Sjursen.[12] Members constitute the party's legislative body, selecting leadership and protocols at the annual regional (årsmøte) and national (landsmøte) conventions.[13]

The party's youth wing is The Capitalist Youth (Liberalistisk Ungdom).[14] Established in 2004, The Capitalist Youth was originally affiliated with the Liberal People's Party until transitioning to the Capitalist Party in 2014.

National leadership

Term Leader Political Deputy Deputy leader Secretary Youth Leader
2014–2015 Espen Hagen Hammer Agnethe Johnsen Eigil Knudsen Petter Hagelien
2015–2016 Arnt Rune Flekstad Roald Ribe Eigil Knudsen Petter Hagelien
2016–2017 Arnt Rune Flekstad Roald Ribe Eigil Knudsen Fredrik Laving
2017–2018 Arnt Rune Flekstad Roald Ribe Geir Hoksnes Fredrik Laving
2018–2019 Arnt Rune Flekstad Fredrik Laving Amund Farberg Benjamin Bringsås
2019–2020 Arnt Rune Flekstad Kjell Bakke Kenneth Tolås Jan-Øyvind Lorgen Benjamin Bringsås
2020–2021 Ronny Skjæveland Roald Ribe Aleksander Aas Jan-Øyvind Lorgen Benjamin Bringsås
2022– Arnt Rune Flekstad Jan-Øyvind Lorgen Nicolay Normann Grundt Oddbjørn Sjursen Carl Fredrik G. Løken
Landsmøte (National Congress) 2016 with party leadership
Party members during first municipal campaign in Oslo

Recent history

During its first national convention, the Capitalist Party declared support for the creation of Liberland, a micronation founded by Czech libertarian Vít Jedlička from the Party of Free Citizens.[15]

In March 2015, the Capitalist Party gathered the amount of constituent signatures required by the state to participate in Oslo's 2015 municipal elections, where it received 458 votes.[16][17] They held their second national congress in Oslo, April 2016.[18] The third national congress was held a year later, also in Oslo, April 2017.[19] The same year the party participated in its first national election for seats in parliament, with full coverage of all possible election districts in the country. It received 5,599 votes, equal to 0.2% of the total votes.

During late 2017 and 2018, the Capitalist Party developed national guides for political programs with local county and district scopes, to be used as a foundation by the local chapters as a baseline, for their local political programs. They were ratified by the fourth national congress. In 2019 the Capitalist Party participated in its second municipal elections, with full coverage of all possible counties (fylke) and 42 municipalities (kommune) in the country. The Oslo Chapter of the party also covered 7 out of 15 city districts. During the 2019 national convention the party changed its organizational structure from having just a deputy leader, to now having a political deputy and a deputy leader.

Per Sandberg, formerly Minister of Fisheries, MP and deputy leader of the Progress Party joined the Capitalist Party during their sixth national congress in Oslo, 13 September 2020. [20] The 2020 national congress also finalized a new national political program, aiming to clarify positions of the party on political direction and issues in the coming parliamentary period from 2021 to 2025.[21]

Election history

Election Year Election Type Number of votes %
2015 Municipal 458 0%
2017 Parliament 5,599 0.2%
2019 Municipal 4,482 0.2%
2019 County 6,379 0.3%
2021 Parliament 4,520 0.2%

Party Congresses

This list is complete and up to date as of May 2024.

References

  1. ^ Lurås, Helge (2024-09-13). "Liberalistene legger ned partiet". inyheter.no - Nyheter og aktuelt - Innenriks og Utenriks. (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  2. ^ "International Alliance of Libertarian Parties". Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  3. ^ "Interlibertarians – Together in freedom". Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Vedtekter: Navn" (in Norwegian). Liberalistene. 7 April 2014. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Liberalistisk Ungdom" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2015-01-14. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  6. ^ Kozik, Lurii (October 2014). "Norway shrugs – Liberals are Growing in Norway". Studvest. Archived from the original on 2016-04-20 – via Velferdstinget i Bergen.
  7. ^ Harbo, Bastian Winde (April 17, 2015). "Derfor har Oslo boligmangel". dittOslo. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016.
  8. ^ "Prinsipprogram" (in Norwegian). Liberalistene. Archived from the original on 2015-05-02.
  9. ^ "Nøkkelopplysninger fra Enhetsregisteret" (in Norwegian). Brønnøysundregistrene. 4 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Fylkeslag" (in Norwegian). Liberalistene. April 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-04-01.
  11. ^ Lorentzen, Karoline Ravndal (July 15, 2015). "Nytt landsdekkende parti stiller til kommunevalg". ABC Nyheter (in Norwegian).
  12. ^ "Sentralstyret" (in Norwegian). Liberalistene. Archived from the original on 2015-04-18.
  13. ^ "Vedtekter: Fylkeslag" (in Norwegian). Liberalistene. 7 April 2014. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015.
  14. ^ "Liberalistisk Ungdom" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2015-01-14. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  15. ^ "Liberalistene med første landsmøte". Capitalist Party. 12 May 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-05-15. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  16. ^ "Liberalistene stiller til valg" (in Norwegian). Liberaleren. 31 March 2015.
  17. ^ Roald, Hanne Bjørdal (April 1, 2015). "Se hvem som stiller til valg i din kommune". NRK.
  18. ^ "Vel overstått Landsmøte 2016". Liberalistene (in Norwegian). May 21, 2016. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Landsmøte 2017". Liberalistene (in Norwegian). April 29, 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  20. ^ "Per Sandberg går inn i Liberalistene". Verdens Gang (VG) (in Norwegian). VG. 13 September 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  21. ^ "National political program 2021-2025" (PDF). Liberalistene (in Norwegian). 20 September 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  22. ^ "Landsmøte 2015".
  23. ^ "Landsmøte 2015".
  24. ^ "Landsmøte 2016".
  25. ^ "Landsmøte 2017".
  26. ^ "Landsmøte 2018".
  27. ^ "Liberalistenes landsmøte 2019". 22 February 2019.
  28. ^ "Rapport fra Liberalistenes landsmøte 2021". 18 August 2021.
  29. ^ "Rapport fra Liberalistenes landsmøte 2021". 18 August 2021.
  30. ^ "Liberalistenes landsmøte 2023".
  31. ^ "Liberalistenes landsmøte 2023".
  32. ^ "Landsmøte 2024".
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