– Djupedal must go!

– In my opinion, cabinet ministers should have some sort of academic ballast, and Djupedal has not proven himself when it comes to higher education, says Olav Gunnar Ballo, one of the representatives for the Socialist Left Party (SV) at the Storting.

He says that Djupedal must go.

– Other parties have asserted themselves more strongly in the education sector, and I believe that SV’s miserable election result will lead to an internal debate about the party’s education policy. Djupedal has not been a very strong voice on these issues, Ballo says to Universitas.

The election result sent a shock wave through SV. Compared to the township- and country council election four years ago, the party has lost more than half of its voters, and they ended at a mere 6.1 per cent – down 6.2 per cent from the last election. According to the media, sources inside the government and the Socialist Left Party have made it clear that changes must be made among some of SV’s cabinet ministers.

– Frustration

Ballo himself does not hide the fact that he would prefer a cabinet minister with actual experience from the education sector.

– The key word here is knowledge. There are a lot of people within the party with an extensive knowledge and experience from the education system, and now would be the time to call them forth, says Ballo.

He is worried that SV has lost a lot of voters from the education environment.

– This is very serious. I have family members who are teachers, and I often listen to their frustration towards SV’s education policies. We must take care not to become known as a party that is always opting for the easiest way out. We need to take the offensive again.

Ballo believes that an open discussion about SV’s cabinet ministers and the regjeringsslitasjen, the government wear and tear, is called for.

– We don’t have many cabinet ministers. Compared to The Labour Party, for example, it is harder for SV to hide the fact that a minister isn’t doing his job properly. This makes us vulnerable, but the election result demands that we face these problems now, Ballo concludes.

– Has disappointed

The research environment and students alike believes that SV’s dramatic setback stem from the party’s educational politics and total lack of any kind of action when it comes to higher education.

– The largest set-backs in the election took place in the bigger cities where SV traditionally receives a great deal of support from academics and students. I believe that a lot of people fail to recognize the party’s educational stands being acted out in government. This is one area where Djupedal has failed, says Anders Torvik Langerød, President of the National Union of Students in Norway (NSU).

He does not want to speculate in Øystein Djupedal’s future, but can understand that people are calling for a discussion about the ministerial offices in the party.

– Djupedal has become an expert in explaining away troublesome matters. SV stated that they would focus on universities and colleges. They wanted to return to the full-time student. They wanted to promote research. They wanted so many things, but they never managed to follow it up, declares a disappointed Torvik Langerød.

– A clear signal

Bjarne Hodne, Chairman of the Program for Cultural Research, agrees.

– One of the main reasons behind SV’s set-back is that they have failed to follow up their promises when it comes to higher education and research. We have been very critical to the government’s policies, and the election result is a clear signal to not only the cabinet minister Øystein Djupedal, but to the rest of the government as well, he says.

Hodne recounts the ways in which he feels that the government, with Djupedal at the helm, has failed.

– The government decided on an incomprehensible cut in the government budget on one per cent to universities and colleges. They have not done anything to improve the recruiting crisis in the sector, and in addition the equipment park is suffering from a five billion lag, Hodne declares.

Øystein Djupedal himself would not like to make any comments to Universitas.

Party leader Kristin Halvorsen is supportive of her cabinet ministers, environmental minister Helen Bjørnøy and educational minister Øystein Djupedal.

– The poor election result cannot be blamed on single persons. Øystein Djupedal has done a tremendous job as Minister of Education and Research, a job which he takes care of morning, day and night. As party leader, the responsibility is mine, Halvoren says to Universitas.

What can Djupedal do to win back the support from the sceptics?

– He simply has to continue doing his job. Education and knowledge is the most important things we can invest in for the future, Halvorsen says.