Conservative Party (Norway)

The Conservative Party or The Right (Høyre, Høgre, Right, H; Olgešbellodat) is a liberal-conservative political party in Norway. It is the major party of the Norwegian centre-right, and was the leading party in government as part of the Solberg cabinet from 2013 to 2021. The current party leader is former Prime Minister Erna Solberg. The party is a member of the International Democrat Union and an associate member of the European People's Party. The party is traditionally a pragmatic and politically moderate conservative party strongly associated with the traditional elites within the civil service and Norwegian business life. During the 20th century, the party has advocated economic liberalism, tax cuts, individual rights, support of monarchism, the Church of Norway and the Armed Forces, anti-communism, pro-Europeanism, and support of the Nordic model; over time, the party's values have become more socially liberal in areas such as gender equality, LGBT rights, and immigration and integration issues; the party defines itself as a party pursuing a "conservative progressive policy based on Christian cultural values, constitutional government and democracy". In line with its Western bloc alignment during the Cold War era, the party strongly supports NATO, which Norway co-founded, and has consistently been the most outspokenly pro-European Union party in Norway, supporting Norwegian membership during both the 1972 and 1994 referendums. The Conservative Party traditionally caters to the educated elite; it has the most highly educated voters of all parties, and is the most popular party among elite groups. In the postwar era, the party formed a grand consensus with the Labour Party regarding foreign and security policy—frequently expressed by the maxim "the foreign policy is settled" (utenrikspolitikken ligger fast)—that led Norway to co-found NATO and enter into a close alliance with the United States, and the parties' economic policies have gradually become more similar.