Students support leftist parties

If Norwegian students were to decide, there would be a red majority in Parliament. This is according to a new survey carried out by Sentio on behalf of Universitas. The Norwegian Labour Party (Ap), the Socialist Left Party of Norway (SV) and Red received 51,4 percent of student votes in total.

A pleased prime minister

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is happy that Ap is so popular among Norwegian students. – We think that students are concerned with the same causes that we are, like securing jobs and taking care of the welfare state, with free schools and health services, Stoltenberg says.

Even though SV is typically seen as the government’s education party, Stoltenberg emphasizes Ap’s long tradition as a party that focuses on schools and education in order to explain why Ap is the most popular party among students.

– The Norwegian Labour Party has always believed in giving people opportunities through education. In this way, we can even out differences, and create a society in which we both create and share, the prime minister explains.

Social and welfare policy most important

The students have also stated which political issues are most important when it comes to gaining their vote. Social and welfare policy comes out on top, with research and higher education policy and environmental policy in second and third place.

Political commentator at The Norwegian Broadcasting Company (NRK), Kyrre Nakkim, believes that these priorities generally reflect those of the general population. The most important difference is environmental policy, which students are more markedly concerned about.

– The environmental issue has become less of a hot topic, especially in the wake of the financial crisis. It is interesting that students are more interested in this than the rest of the population are, Nakkim says.

Ingvild Reymert, leader of the National Union of Students in Norway, thinks that it is natural that higher education policy is very important to students.

– We are starved on a skimpy student loan, and this is probably the biggest limitation for most students. These are policies that affect the everyday lives of students, Reymert concludes.

Øistein Svelle, leader of Norwegian Association of Students (StL), believes that students emphasising higher education and research as important issues is due to it being a sector of national importance.

– The results show that a large portion of the voters finds research and higher education important. This means that educational politicians has received a good argument towards their parties to focus on higher education in the election, Svelle states.

Frp stigmatized

The biggest loser is the right-wing liberalistic Progress Party (Frp), with just 10,5 percent of votes.

Anders Anundsen, party spokesman on education policy, thinks that Frp has worked hard to create a good education policy, and argues that the party has done many things for students during the last four years.

– FrP has the best student policy and is the party that is working hardest on basic appropriations and research funding. We are working for more places, better financing and faster study progression. FrP wants to make it possible to be a full-time student, Anundsen says.

– What is the reason you do not have more support among students?

– There is a left-wing tradition among this country’s universities, university colleges and professors, and this probably affects students. FrP’s education policy is also heavily stigmatized by the other parties. Perhaps this stigmatization leads to people not exploring our policies more closely, in order to see what we actually do for students, he says.

No coalition for Red

Red has 4,5 percent support, thereby pipping the Norwegian Centre party to the post. Leader Torstein Dahle believes that their popularity among students is due to the party being interested in issues that are critical for the future.

– Red is different from the other parties, with an aggressive environmental policy. We are the only party that goes in for drastic climate gas reductions, and we want to leave the oil in the north of Norway alone. Red points out that another world is necessary, and young students are more aware of this than older people. This may be the reason why students choose Red, Dahle thinks.

He also emphasizes the party’s education policy.

– We are concerned about students’ financial situations. The fact that students have to work part-time has a negative effect on their studies, and it is unfortunate that young people have to carry the baggage of debt with them further on in life. The education system should function in a correct way in social terms, and with this as our starting point we want full scholarships for all students irrespective of their study progression, Dahle says.

He does not see a coalition government with Ap, SV and Red as a likely possibility, but he points out that the party would support a red-green government.

– The most important thing for us is that we get a government that is as far away from Siv Jensen and Erna Solberg as possible, Dahle says.