KrF and Liberals lost 2,000 members

Knut Arild HareideMinister of Transport Knut Arild Hareide (Christian Democratic Party).Photo: Berit Roald / NTB scanpix

KrF and the Liberals lost more than 2,000 members in one year

While the Conservatives gain more members, numbers for of the parties in the centre, the Liberals (Venstre) and Christian Democrats (KrF) lose them steadily.

 

Although the polls have been relatively stable for a while, the membership figures show a different reality. In one year, The Liberals has dropped from 8,048 members in 2016, to 7,057 members in 2017.

– Last year, especially the first half of the year, was characterized by loud discussions. It has a lot to say for how willing people are to join. But the situation improved in the second half of the year, General Secretary Christian Herzog told the newspaper Klassekampen (Class Struggle). He adds that the party now initiates a recruitment measure to reverse the situation.

The Christian Democrats (Kristelig Folkeparti) has a very strong organization and has been the largest party in number of members after the Labor Party. But in recent years, the party has lost in excess of a thousand members every year.

From 2016 to 2017 the party decreased from 21,122 members to 20,050. General Secretary Hilde Frafjord Johnson says the decline is linked to a long-term trend in the parties with less interest in party membership. She adds that a lot of elderly people drop out without sufficient recruitment to replace them.

The Conservatives (Høyre) grows and is now the second largest party behind Labour (Arbeiderpartiet). In 2017, membership increased by over 1,100 members, from 28,585 in 2016 to 29,700 in 2017.

Labour (Ap) had 54,856 members in 2016, but last year the membership was reduced by 1,533 members to 53,323, according to Dagbladet.

Membership figures are reported by the party offices.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today