Progress Party's Youth

The Progress Party's Youth (Norwegian: Fremskrittspartiets Ungdom, FpU), is the youth wing of the Norwegian political party the Progress Party. It is generally considered to be more libertarian than the Progress Party itself.[2] The organization has active chapters in all counties of Norway as well as in over 50 municipalities.

For the Danish organization, see Youth of the Progress Party.
Progress Party's Youth
Fremskrittspartiets Ungdom
ChairpersonSimen Velle
Founded10 February 1978
HeadquartersKarl Johans gate 25, Oslo
IdeologyClassical liberalism[1]
Libertarianism[1]
Right-wing populism
Colours  Blue
Mother partyProgress Party
European affiliationEuropean Young Conservatives
Websitefpu.no

From 2012, Himanshu Gulati was the organisation's chairperson. Gulati is the first leader of a youth wing of a major Norwegian political party with multi-cultural background.[3] After being selected to the post of State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Gulati stepped down. In 2014, Atle Simonsen was elected chairperson[4] Atle sat as chairman until 2016, when the annual national meeting of FpU elected Bjørn-Kristian Svendrud as the organisation's chairman. Atle now works as political adviser to Minister of Children and Equality Solveig Horne.

History

The organization was officially founded by members of the Progress Party (FpU) on the annual party convention on 10–11 February 1978, the same convention where Carl I. Hagen was elected chairman of the party. The organization's first leader was the future mayor of Oslo, Peter N. Myhre, who served until 1984.

1994 Bolkesjø purge
Main article: 1994 Progress Party national convention

As soon as in 1989, rifts appeared within the FpU between a liberal and conservative faction. In the 1989 election several, hardline libertarians such as Pål Atle Skjervengen and Tor Mikkel Wara gained seats in the Storting and this further weakened the conservatives' position. That same year saw controversial proposals put forth by the liberals regarding gay marriage and immigration which sparked heated debates within among the youth members.

In 1992, the liberal Lars Grønntun was elected leader after a power struggle with Ingvar Myrvollen. This began a period of large-scale infighting which ultimately led to the board dissolving the organization, only to have the decision reversed by the party. After the expulsion of its entire liberal faction during the 1994 Progress Party national convention at Bolkesjø in Telemark, Ulf Leirstein became the new leader.

Recent history

Norwegian secondary schools hold school elections. The organization consistently polls better there than its parent party and emerged as the largest party nationwide in 1989, 2003, 2005 and 2009. Recently, they have been out-polled by their social-democratic rivals from AUF.[5][6][7] In 2009, FpU set a new membership record of 3,031 members, although this number dipped to 2,892 in 2010. Nevertheless, all political youth-organizations experienced an upsurge in new members in the aftermath of the 2011 Norway attacks.[8]

Ideology and political positions

In the organization's manifesto, it states: "The Progress Party's Youth supports a free-marked economy, regulated by supply and demand, without interference from government officials. A market economy is the economical system which gives the individual person greatest freedom of action". It also wishes to reform the welfare state with private insurance arrangements and increase privatization in the health and education sector, for one making the public hospitals "compete" with the privately owned hospitals for best possible care.[9] It supports the legalization of medicinal cannabis, and more liberal drug laws in general.[10]

Leadership

List of chairpersons

Current Central Committee[11]
  • Chairperson: Simen Velle
  • First vice-chairperson: Ole Jakob Warlo
  • Second vice-chairperson: Claudia Rebecka Brännström
  • Member: Julianne Ofstad
  • Member: Markus Gotaas
  • Member: Mats Henriksen
  • First reserve member: Joakim Myklebost Tangen

References
  1. "International – Fremskrittspartiets Ungdom".
  2. Eilif Frich Flydal: Hagen ute, ungdommen inne Dagbladet, 11. mai 2006
  3. Første fleirkulturelle leiar for ungdomsparti, NRK
  4. "Atle Simonsen valgt til leder i Fpu". Aftenbladet. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  5. Solvik, Bjørn Magne. "FrP vant skolevalget". Liberaleren. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  6. Løset, Kjetil (2012-01-13). "Frp størst ved skolevalget".
  7. Lynum, Sissel. "AP vant skolevalget". Adressa.no. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  8. "Kraftig meldemsvekst i de politiske partiene" (in Norwegian). Nationen.no. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  9. "Manifest". Progress Party's Youth (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  10. kvile, geir (13 January 2012). "FpU vil legalisere narkotika". Ba.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  11. "Sentralstyret – Fremskrittspartiets Ungdom". fpu.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
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