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Norway MP’s Choose Sanders Over Trump

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Bernie Sanders

When asked which candidate they would prefer to win the next U.S. presidential election, Norway's lawmakers overwhelmingly selected Bernie Sanders. Donald Trump did not perform well.

Left-leaning Bernie Sanders is the Norwegian Parliament's preferred candidate to become next President of the United States of America. That's the results of a survey by the Norwegian newspaper, Klassekampen, which has been widely reported by the mainstream Norwegian media.

Perhaps more notable than Sanders leading the field was the performance of incumbent president Donald Trump. The 45th President of the USA was only the fourth favourite among Norwegian MPs.

Sanders tops the survey

The newspaper asked all 154 representatives in the Storting which candidate they preferred. Of the 68 who replied, 29 picked the Vermont senator. Of those who picked Sanders, 16 were from Norway's Arbeiderpartiet (Labour Party) with 10 from Sosialistisk Venstreparti (Socialist Left).

Read more: Fascinating Facts About Norway

Bjørnar Moxnes, leader of the far-left Rødt (Red) party also supported Sanders, as did Venstre's (Liberal) Carl-Erik Grimstad and Senterpartiet's Liv Signe Navarsete.

Bernie Sanders US Presidential candidate

Norwegian speaker Buttigieg leads the chasing pack

Pete Buttigieg, one of Sanders' rivals for the Democratic nomination, was also popular. Among the survey responses, 20 picked him. Among those 20, half were from Høyre (Conservatives), the lead party in Norway's coalition government and the party of Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

Of course, Buttigieg has a higher-profile than you may expect in Norway. He has made the news for his surprising competence in the Norwegian language.

When questioned on his unusual choice of foreign language to learn, he said it was so he could read the novels of Norwegian author Erlend Loe in their original language. Aside from Norwegian, he speaks French, Spanish, Italian, Maltese, Arabic and Dari,

11 respondents chose Joe Biden, 8 went for Trump, with seven choosing Elizabeth Warren. Michael Bloomberg (4), Amy Klobuchar (3) and Tom Steyer (2) also received preferences.

Only right-wing MP's favour Donald Trump

The current President Donald Trump received only 8 preferences. All 8 came from members of Norway's populist Fremskrittspartiet (Progress Party), who recently walked out of the coalition government. Of course, there was many MPs that did not choose a favourite, so it's possible many of these are Trump fans afraid of making such a public statement.

Trump's Trade War could impact Norway

It's fair to say most Norwegians have looked on at Trump's presidency with curiosity. That curiosity was heightened in 2018 when the President reportedly said he would welcome immigrants from countries like Norway over “sh**hole countries.”

Although he initially denied making the comments, several members of Congress that attended the meeting between Trump and Norway's Prime Minister said the reports were true. The comments sparked a firestorm in America, and around the world.

Even Fox News were surprised at the comments. “Norwegians generally live longer than Americans. There's a generous safety net of health care and pensions. And although it's pricey, the country last year was named the happiest on Earth,” said the news outlet.

“President Donald Trump says the United States should take in more Norwegians, but is it any wonder that more Americans are going the other way?”, it continued.

Aside from those comments, the nation's statistics service warned last year that if Trump's trade war were to escalate, it would have a significant impact on the Norwegian economy.

Why are Norway's politicians backing Bernie?

Given the state of play of Noway's politics, it's no surprise that the majority of MPs back Democratic candidates. Even politicians considered centre or centre-right in Norway would be considered centre-left in the U.S.

Bernie Sanders is a U.S. Senator from Vermont. He was elected to the Senate after 16 years as Vermont’s sole congressman in the House of Representatives. In 2018, he won re-election for a third term with more than two-thirds of the vote.

According to the Sanders campaign website, his reign as mayor of Burlington helped transform the city into one of the most exciting and livable small cities in America. “Under his administration, the city made major strides in affordable housing, progressive taxation, environmental protection, child care, women’s rights, youth programs and the arts,” states the site.

In Norway, Sanders is seen as the sole progressive candidate that will work to improve conditions for working families and focus on closing the growing gap between the rich and everyone else.

About David Nikel

Originally from the UK, David now lives in Trondheim and was the original founder of Life in Norway back in 2011. He now works as a professional writer on all things Scandinavia.

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8 thoughts on “Norway MP’s Choose Sanders Over Trump”

  1. As a proud Norwegian American all I have to say is Keep America Great Again!

    I hope Trump can visit Norway next year when he is re-elected.

    I too will be coming to Oslo to start a new life as a school teacher.

    Reply
    • What is the matter with you? As a true intelligent Norwegian , you should be ashamed of praising that moron Trump! Trust me… he wouldn’t survive for a week in Norway!

      Reply
  2. Bernie is left “leaning’? In what sense? This author must be somewhere to left of Stalin if it’s his perspective that Sanders is just slightly off center.

    Reply
  3. President Trump will be the only candidate to make
    America great again. I doubt the ageing, left-leaning Sanders
    Can fit that bill

    Reply
  4. Bernie, the lackluster communist who can be paid off o the turn of a dime. wonderful to see that Norway’s finest Politician love the wealth re-distributor. Bernie, like most socialists, is for Bernie.Norway needs to elect people who reflect her work ethic. Not a bunch of Young socialist idiots.

    Reply
  5. Norway and Sweden have been in the eye of the storm of the Godfather of the left in the World George Soros. He chose the richest and most civilized countries in Europe to destroy with his mercenaries. This way he would intimidate the others. No wonder the socialist/communist ideologies of Bernie Sanders are cheered at the Left in Norway and probably in Sweden. The people of Norway and Sweden who like Sanders must be sent to live in North Korea to enjoy “the good life” in communism.
    People of those countries are “reconstructed”, damaged beyond repair, talking to them is same as talking to a wall or a tree. They claim they are “the happiest country in the world” (based on polls). Really?
    How so, when each week a ethnic Norwegian girl is raped from a non ethnic Norwegian which could be a Paki, a Somali, or a Middle eastern?
    How so when 50% of the country suffers depression on? You brag to have free healthcare and being a welfare country. But do you know with the kind of emigration who wants to replace white population how long you could afford to do so? That system works if you kept the ethnic Norwegian population, but if you welcome million of emigrants who is going to pay for “free stuff”?
    Many are dummified by socialist propaganda. When they wake up will be same as seeing a nightmare. It is not gonna take long if the course is not changed.
    Just imagine if Europe and the USA would have had no immigrants from other continents besides Europe or other races, this virus would have not been spread in Europe or the US. Do you get this?

    Reply
  6. What could you expect by the commies of Norway who gave a Noble Peace Prize to a bloodthirsty warmonger like Obama who did nothing for peace (and had only 8 months being elected. However “to deserve” the Peace Prize” he started war in Libya, Syria, Ukraine, anarchy in Egypt. The result was a million people killed and many millions turned into refugees. But,….he gave “nice speeches”. He was a turtle in a pool fence. A turtle could not climb by in a pool fence, someone put him there. But he doesn’t belong there.
    The Czech President Vaclav Klaus has a meaningful quote about Obama.
    “The danger to America is not Barack Obama, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools, such as those who made him their president.”.

    Reply

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