Turning 80: Carl I. Hagen: – It’s completely unheard of

Carl I. Hagen, the Nestor of the Progressive Party, turns 80 on Monday. He is still active in politics, and is a parliamentary representative for Oppland.

Hagen has decided whether he will run for re-election to the Storting in the 2025 election, but does not want to reveal what he has decided on.

– I will answer that question on Monday, he says to ABC Nyheter.

Two weeks ago, Hagen was hospitalized with pneumonia. Now the form is fine again.

– I was back at work on Monday.

His birthday will be marked on Monday at the Storting. The parliamentary group of the Progress Party will hold a reception for me in the Eidsvoll gallery at the Storting, says Hagen.

– People from other parties are invited. There is also the Prime Minister, Speaker of the Storting and party leaders. It will be awesome.

On Sunday, there will be a celebration at home with the family.

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– Completely unheard of

Hagen was the leader of the Progress Party from 1978 to 2006, and sat in the Storting between 1981 and 2009. In 2021, he thus made a comeback.

The Progress Party is doing well in the polls during the day, which Hagen is happy about.

– I think it’s generally going well. We have been progressing and standing out. I am optimistic about the 2025 election.

– Do you think the FRP will come into government after the election?

– It very much depends on the negotiations. We learned last time that going into government without getting a proper impact in important areas is not necessarily wise. And then we have seen that SV achieves quite a lot, even though they are in opposition. It will be a difficult assessment for the party leadership whether it makes the most sense for the party to join a possible government or not.

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– Why do you think the Frp is doing well in the polls during the day?

– I think some of that is due to people seeing that crime is increasing. There are many indications, even if the police unfortunately do not give us the figures, that this is the result of a naive immigration policy. It is completely unheard of that we do not get to know the national background of those who are involved in gangs, so that we get to know whether we have a youth problem or an integration problem, says Hagen.

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– Can’t have it like that

The 80th anniversary also highlights the economic situation.

– There have been several years of decline in purchasing power for most people, I think that has meant something. In addition, I would like to highlight a point that I think a lot of people are thinking about: we are constantly bragging about new billions for Ukraine and other countries around the world, but every time there is a question of money here at home, you are the rube. That attitude of being a world champion in helping others, but not being a world champion in helping our own, I think that is part of the reason why the Labor Party is struggling and that we are doing somewhat better.

Carl I. Hagen boasts of the job Sylvi Listhaug is doing as Frp leader. Photo: NTB

After Hagen resigned as party leader in 2006, Siv Jensen took over. She took the party into government in 2013 and was finance minister. Jensen resigned in 2021, and for the past three years Sylvi Listhaug has been the leader of the Progress Party. Hagen boasts about the work Listhaug has done.

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– I think Sylvi does a good job. She covers a lot of areas and is knowledgeable.

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Former FRP minister Tor Mikkel Wara has announced that he wants to return to politics and wants a new term as a parliamentary representative. FpU leader Simen Velle has also said that he wants to enter the Storting.

– It is very exciting, says Hagen.

– Do you think the drug sentence against Velle will weaken him?

– I don’t think that will weaken Simen Velle at all. He admitted that he did something very stupid at the age of 16-17, a lot of people have done stupid things in their youth. It was very wise for him to come forward. We cannot have it so that politicians have to be absolutely perfect from the time they are born and have never done anything stupid, says Hagen clearly.

Ups and downs

FRP veteran Christian Tybring-Gjedde will retire from politics after the election in autumn 2025. He announced this after Wara and Velle said they wanted to enter the Storting. Tybring-Gjedde responded that he had not been informed in advance by the “challengers”.

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Christian Tybring-Gjedde tv and Carl I Hagen during the Progress Party’s national meeting in Gardermoen last year. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB

Hagen does not think Tybring-Gjedde was pushed out by Wara and Velle.

– I have been a supporter of Tybring-Gjedde, and I think he had made up his mind in advance, but waited to speak up.

Carl I. Hagen has been involved in politics for over 50 years, since 1973.

– I have felt privileged. There have been ups and downs, but an interesting and exciting life. Thanks to politics, I have visited many parts of the world. I have nothing to complain about, he says.