Progress Party (Norway)

Progress Party (Norway)

The Progress Party (Bokmål: Fremskrittspartiet or Bokmål: Framskrittspartiet, Nynorsk: Framstegspartiet, FrP) is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and classical liberal. The media and academics have described it as right-wing populist or conservative. It is currently the second-largest party in the Norwegian Parliament, with 41 seats.

Founded by Anders Lange in 1973 largely as an anti-tax movement, the party highly values individual rights and supports the downsizing of bureaucracy and an increased market economy; however, it also supports an increased use of the uniquely Norwegian Oil Fund to invest in infrastructure. The party in addition seeks a more restrictive immigration policy and tougher integration and law and order measures. Long-time chairman Carl I. Hagen was from 1978 to 2006 the leader and centre of the party, and in many ways personally controlled the ideology and policies of the party. The current leader of the Progress Party is Siv Jensen, who was the party's candidate for Prime Minister in the 2009 parliamentary election.

In the 1997 parliamentary election the party became the second largest political party in Norway for the first time, a position it also held following the elections in 2005 and 2009. The other parties in parliament have historically refused any formal governmental cooperation with the Progress Party. However, with the recent rise in support, and its steady position as the second largest party in Norway since 2005, the Conservative Party has considered potential governmental cooperation with the party.