Last weekend saw ALDE Party member Venstre hold its National Conference on the 17-18 October in Norway. With defence and arctic security high on the national agenda, liberals kept the conference closer to home, looking at youth employment and job security.
The so-called Liberal Festival took place in Lillestrøm. With two days of political workshops and key discussions ahead of Norway's local elections in 2027, the event signalled a real push by liberals to address the everyday concerns of citizens.
Some key discussions included youth and housing, local election preparation for 2027-31, nature conservation, artificial intelligence and Norway's role in Europe.
Party leader Guri Melby spoke about the risk of AI replacing jobs. One key proposal she outlined was a tax deduction for companies that decide to invest in upskilling their employees instead of replacing them with AI. The proposal underscores the liberal effort to make a meaningful change in people’s everyday lives.
Melby spoke about the issues facing university graduates in entering the job market and the need to create more opportunities for them in the future:
“One out of ten now goes straight from higher education to unemployment. They have done everything Norway asked them to. The problem is that we have a country full of opportunities, yet we don't seize them.”
She also made the broader of point of seeing those in Norway struggling to “get started,” which could mean getting started in the job market, buying a house or starting a business:
“For those of you who are getting started: You've done your part. Now the community has to do its part. We can do more.”
The event heard from guest speakers, including Christian Træland, who also spoke on encouraging more youth employment, Hilde Midsem, who spoke on first-time buyers in the housing market, and finally, Karriere Marie on how tough the job market can be for young people.
After the right-wing populist party FrP doubled its vote share in the Norwegian parliamentary elections last year, Venstre wants to burst this momentum by ensuring a proactive and solution-based approach going forward ahead of the 2027 elections.
For Venstre, the message is that liberal politics must do more to address voters’ concerns, both in Norway and across Europe. That means offering practical solutions, whether helping young people enter the job market, encouraging businesses to invest in workers rather than replace them with AI, or making home ownership more accessible.
Already outlining their idea of building 30,000 homes by 2030 for first time buyers, last weekend's National Conference positions liberals as providing solutions to voters ahead of the local elections in 2027.
With the elections approaching, Venstre is seeking to turn these proposals into a broader offer to voters, centred on opportunity and solutions to everyday challenges.
Re-watch proceedings below:
Contributed to by Cathal Kennedy, Communications Trainee