Tromsø Progress Party leaders step down as party tops local poll

Tromsø’s Progress Party announced that its group leader Bjørn-Gunnar Jørgensen and long-time councillor Kristoffer Kanestrøm will not stand for re-election in the next municipal contest. Jørgensen, with 16 years on the city council, and Kanestrøm, who has served for 24 years, said the decision follows a heated internal disagreement and a perceived shift in party support. The party currently enjoys a lead in local opinion polls, surpassing the Conservatives, though exact percentages were not disclosed.

The municipal grant of 593,000 kroner, which the party receives from Tromsø municipality, has been a point of contention, with critics claiming the two leaders each took 48.5 % of the sum, a charge they reject. A new candidate list is expected no earlier than January 2027, leaving the party’s future leadership uncertain.