Centre Party (Norway)
The Centre Party (Norwegian: Senterpartiet, Sp; Northern Sami: Guovddášbellodat), formerly the Farmer's Party (Norwegian: Bondepartiet, Bp), is an agrarian political party in Norway.
Centre Party Senterpartiet | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | Sp |
| Leader | Trygve Slagsvold Vedum |
| Parliamentary leader | Marit Arnstad |
| Founded | 19 May 1920 |
| Headquarters | Akersgata 35, Oslo |
| Youth wing | Centre Youth |
| Membership (2017) | 19,080 |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre |
| Nordic affiliation | Centre Group |
| Colours | Green |
| Slogan | "Nær folk" ("Close to people") |
| Storting | 28 / 169 |
| County Councils | 106 / 574 |
| Municipal Councils | 1,274 / 9,344 |
| Sami Parliament | 3 / 39 |
| Website | |
| senterpartiet | |
Ideologically, the Centre Party is positioned in the centre on the political spectrum, it advocates for economic nationalist and protectionist policy to protect Norwegian farmers with toll tariffs, and it supports decentralisation. It was founded in 1920 as the Farmers' Party (Norwegian: Bondepartiet, Bp) and from its founding until 2000, the Centre Party joined only governments not led by the Labour Party, although it had previously supported a Labour government in the 1930s. This turned around in 2005, when the party joined the red–green coalition government led by the Labour Party. Governments headed by prime ministers from the party include the short-lived Kolstad and Hundseid's Cabinet between 1931 and 1933 and the longer-lasting Borten's Cabinet from 1965 until 1971.
The Centre Party has maintained a strong stance against Norwegian membership in the European Union, successfully campaigning against Norwegian membership in both the 1972 and 1994 referendums, during which time the party saw record-high election results. Subsequently, the party proposed Norway's withdrawal from the European Economic Area and the Schengen Agreement. In 2017, party deputy leader Ola Borten Moe declared nationalism to be a "positive force".