2005 National Conference in the Norwegian Socialist Left Party

April 5, 2005 NORWAY, Kristiansand: This weekend (1. - 3. April) the Norwegian Socialist Left Party held its 16. ordinary National Conference. The conference was characterized by the members and speakers obvious belief in themselves winning the upcoming election together with the Norwegian Labour Party and the Norwegian Centre Party. This partly unofficial alliance has lately been leading all polls with the rarity of a majority of the members of parliament ("Stortinget"). Norway has not seen a government with a majority in the parliament since shortly after WWII, when the Labour Party governed.

New gas powerplants in Norway In a resolution from the conference the Socialist Left Party opens for the building of new gas powerplants in Norway, as long as these powerplants do not release any CO2 into the atmosphere.

This has been a matter of great discussion in Norway and prime ministers have given away their chairs in the dispute. In the latter the Centre Party also made a similar resolution, and so it seems the upcoming government will open for the building of these plants.

Agains membership in the European Union The Socialist Left Party is still clearly opposed to Norway entering the European Union (with only five votes for membership).

As both Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party are clear non-unionist parties, it seems they will block the Labour Party from sending any applications for membership in the upcoming four-year government period.

More abortion and status quo on prostitution The Socialist Left Party wants to expand the time limit for abortion to 16 weeks after impregnation.

The Socialist Left Party does not want to criminalize the act of buying services from prostitutes.

There was a great deal of discussion surrounding the subject of prostitution. As the Socialist Left Party has a large group of feminists among its active members, there was a great minority voting for criminalization.