Free Democrats (Norway)

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The Free Democrats (Norwegian: Fridemokratene) is a political organization formed by former members of the Progress Party of Norway in 1994.

The 1993 election saw the support of the Progress Party (6.3 percent and 10 representatives) halved.^{[citation needed]} After the 1994 Progress Party national convention several representatives of the "libertarian wing" broke out and founded a party more ideologically consistently libertarian, the Free Democrats.^{[citation needed]} Four of the defectors were MPs, and formed an independent group in Parliament of Norway.^{[citation needed]}

Its first leader Ellen Christine Christiansen was among the four MPs, and also served in Oslo city council until 1995.^[1]

In the Norwegian county elections, 1995 the party received 1,932 votes, 0.09% of the votes. The Free Democrats no longer participate in elections and function merely as a think tank and organization for Norwegian libertarians, regardless of their political allegiance.^{[citation needed]} People associated with the Free Democrats also founded the online newspaper Liberaleren.^{[citation needed]}

Issues[edit]

According to its webpage, its main policies are:^[2]

• End conscription
• Full free trade
• Separation of church and state
• Legalization of drugs
• Free immigration

Presidents of the Free Democrats[edit]

• 1994–1996 : Ellen Christine Christiansen
• 1996–1998 : Heidi Nordby Lunde
• 1998–1999 : Bent Johan Mosfjell
• 1999–2000 : Kristian Norheim
• 2000–2003 : Hans Jørgen Lysglimt
• 2003–2005 : Sverre Berg

See also[edit]

• Liberal People's Party, a party with a similar ideology

References[edit]