The Free Democrats () 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. After the
1994 Progress Party national convention
The 1994 national convention of the Progress Party of Norway was held from 15 April to 17 April at the hotel Bolkesjø Turisthotell in Bolkesjø, Telemark. It was originally set up to be a normal convention with 157 delegates in a non-election y ...
several representatives of the "
libertarian
Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
wing" broke out and founded a party more ideologically consistently libertarian, the Free Democrats. Four of the defectors were
MPs, and formed an
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
group in
Parliament of Norway
The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list proportional represe ...
.
Its first leader
Ellen Christine Christiansen was among the four MPs, and also served in Oslo city council until 1995.
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. People associated with the Free Democrats also founded the
online newspaper
An online newspaper (or electronic news or electronic news publication) is the electronic publishing, online version of a newspaper, either as a stand-alone publication or as the online version of a printed periodical literature, periodical.
Goin ...
''
Liberaleren''.
Issues
According to its webpage, its main policies are:
* End
conscription
Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...
* Full
free trade
Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold Economic liberalism, economically liberal positions, while economic nationalist politica ...
*
Separation of church and state
The separation of church and state is a philosophical and Jurisprudence, jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the State (polity), state. Conceptually, the term refers to ...
*
Legalization of drugs
* Free
immigration
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents. Commuting, Commuter ...
Presidents of the Free Democrats
*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
*
Liberal People's Party, a party with a similar ideology
References
{{Reflist
Liberal parties in Norway
Political parties established in 1994
1994 establishments in Norway