The short version
- Astrid Hoem (29) confirms that she is stepping down as AUF leader at the national meeting in October.
- She takes a generational approach and believes today’s young people are the first generation after the war who may have fewer opportunities than their parents’ generation.
- According to Hoem, the young are the losers in Norway today, especially with regard to the housing market and climate policy.
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She confirms that she is stepping down as AUF leader at the national meeting in October, after having been leader of Ap’s youth organization for four years.
– There is no drama associated with this. It feels right now. Although AUF has been my home for half my life, and of course it will be sad and wistful to say thank you for now in October. But once an AUFer, always an AUFer as we say!
We sit at Youngstorget.
Over a cup of coffee, she makes a settlement on behalf of the country’s young people.
– We are the first generation after the war to have fewer opportunities than the parents’ generation, Hoem believes:
– It is the young people who are the losers in Norway today. You see it in the housing market and not least when it comes to climate policy, where it is our generation and the next generations that will be affected if the temperature on the globe continues to rise.
Labor fell by 9.5 percentage points at the last school election, from 26.5 in 2021 to 17.5 per cent in 2023, both the Conservative Party and the FRP became bigger.
And only seven percent of young men stated after last year’s election that they vote Ap.
– It is far too bad and we must do something about it. But I would like to mention that until last year we have won the school election since 2015. It is historic. And the school election went better than the election itself among young people. It shows that Ap must listen to AUF. We don’t have a chance if we don’t get more young people to vote for us.
Answer several questions
What is AUF, and who is Astrid Hoem?AUF stands for Arbeidernes Ungdomsfylking and is the youth organization of the Labor Party in Norway. Astrid Hoem has been leader of AUF and has played an active role in Norwegian politics, particularly focused on the interests and challenges of young people.
Astrid Hoem has been manager for four years and feels that the time is right to retire. Hoem emphasizes that there is no drama attached to the decision. Usually, an AUF leader does not sit for longer than four years.
Hoem points to several challenges for today’s young people in Norway, including a difficult housing market and challenges related to climate policy. She expresses concern that today’s young people may end up with fewer opportunities than their parents’ generation, and that the young are the biggest losers in today’s society.
Heat and refugees
In 2015, a wave of refugees flooded Europe, which also hit Norway.
That wave shook a number of central democracies in Europe, where extreme right-wing parties Political parties that are far to the right on the political scale, often with nationalist or anti-immigration policies.gained prominence, including in Sweden.
Hoem fears that it is only the beginning because people will no longer be able to live in parts of Africa and Asia if temperatures continue to rise.
– We see that there are more and more areas that are unlivable where people can no longer live, as a result of increased temperatures.
– Dangerous
She says it can of course also have major consequences for us.
– It is worst for those who are actually affected and who have to flee because it is too hot to produce food anymore, because the place they live disappears under water because the sea level rises – or because they are affected by extreme weather. It is natural that they will move north to cooler countries.
She says that her big concern is that we are seeing a young generation where many are losing faith in politics.
– When you see the climate crisis and the failure to stop the abuses in Gaza and Russia’s attack on Ukraine, many young people lose faith in politicians. It is dangerous for democracy both in Norway and other countries. We need to show that politics works and that people actually change the world.
– Must run faster
Hoem says they want to pressure their own Labor Party, which could end with a battle vote on Olje-Norge’s future at the Labor Party national meeting next spring.
– The goal of AUF is to stop oil exploration by 2035, that there will be a credible plan for scaling back the oil industry and that we must say that the time for new large oil fields is over. There has been an honest disagreement with the party for a long time, but time is running out.
– Other parties run a much tougher climate campaign profile; Ap does not appear as an equally credible climate campaigner?
– If we cut greenhouse gas emissions enough, which means that we reach the climate targets, then we will show that our climate policy is working.
– Do you really believe that we can achieve this? the 2030 goalsNorway’s goal is to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by 50 to 55 percent by 2030, compared to the 2030 level.?
– Yes, if we take the necessary steps. We must come up with a plan to restructure the Norwegian economy, where those who currently work in the oil industry will be the most important in the green shift.
– We won’t get any large wind turbine production up either on land or at sea by 2030 – or new hydropower or other big boosts that can quickly cut greenhouse gas emissions in the next six years?
– We can do it if we have the political will. We must stick to that vision. For example, we have to electrify To replace systems that use fossil fuels with electric alternatives, for example in the transport sector or by replacing polluting power plants on Norwegian oil platforms, by obtaining electricity from land or from wind turbines.everything we can.
– It also takes time?
– Yes, but we have to run faster. Look at what is happening on the electric car front. There we can approach the goal of zero new fossil fuel cars in 2025.
Ap’s own surveys show that it is the leadership that voters point to as the biggest challenge to Ap.
– It’s about politics, she says.
– Isn’t that what the voters are answering?
– I think it is also about whether people have confidence in the government project and the policy we are pursuing. Then Ap must have a clearer political project.
– Are you saying that people feel that Støre does not have a political project?
– What I am saying is that Ap must have a clearer project. It is a shared responsibility for the entire party.
– Jonas is wise
– We had a case last winter that you focused on free kindergarten as such a project in the next parliamentary term. But it has so far been met with a relatively cold shoulder in Ap?
– It will be the Labor party’s national meeting next spring that decides. That should be the next big welfare promise for Labor. And then we have to get a proper grip on housing policy, where young people can no longer afford to buy an apartment in many places in Norway.
– You protected Støre at the national board meeting in April, until the national meeting next spring. But at that meeting can he be in play?
– I am not going to advance what AUF will do at Ap’s national meeting next spring. I find that he is very responsive to what we think is needed to increase support. I think Jonas is a wise leader in Ap.
She doesn’t know what to do in the future.
– First, I will be involved in putting in a plan for the national meeting of AUF in the autumn and for the national meeting of Ap next spring, for how we are going to win back young voters. After that I have no idea.
She has a bachelor’s degree in development studies.
– Master’s degree, job outside Ap or position in Ap are three possible paths?
– The honest answer is that I haven’t thought much about it. I have promised my father that I will get a master’s degree, but I have to admit that it is looking increasingly distant. I am so happy with the party and AUF that I hope I can contribute in one way or another in the future as well.
no
These days, many people are counting the buttons on whether they want to go for the nomination battle before the general election next autumn.
Hoem is not there.
– Åse Kristin Ask Bakke is the youngest permanent elected member of Parliament, AUF and from my county. She is doing a good job and I hope she continues in the Storting. I am not planning for a parliamentary nomination, but will fight so that we win the election in 2025.
