SV leader Bergstø admits party’s slump and outlines plan to rebuild support

In an interview at her Nittedal apartment, SV leader Kirsti Bergstø described the party’s current “bad spot,” noting that poll numbers have settled around five percent after a brief surge as the bloc’s second-largest force. She blamed voter drift to the Labour Party when it governed alone and pointed to internal dissent, including a no-confidence vote at a county meeting and the announced departures of Marian Hussein and party secretary Audun Herning.

Bergstø listed four areas she feels the leadership fell short: the ultimatum on Gaza and the oil fund, the autumn Storting election campaign, the handling of state-budget negotiations, and the overall communication of SV’s role in coalition talks. She stressed that criticism from within hurts but that she remains committed, emphasizing “teamwork” as the way forward and pledging to stay on as leader to guide the recovery.