Editing Progress Party (Norway) (section)

=== 2000–2001: turmoil and expulsion of populists ===
While the Progress Party had witnessed close to 35% support in opinion polls in late 2000,{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} its support fell back to 1997 levels in the upcoming election in 2001. This was largely a result of turmoil surrounding the party. The party's deputy leader Terje Søviknes became involved in a sex scandal, and internal political conflicts came to the surface;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frp.no/no/Mot_oss/Historie//|publisher=FrP.no|title=Fremskrittspartiets historie: Valget 2001 og ny turbulens i partiet|trans-title=History of the Progress Party: The 2001 election and new turbulence in the party|access-date=17 February 2010|language=no|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125145458/http://www.frp.no/no/Mot_oss/Historie/|archive-date=25 November 2009}}</ref> Hagen had already in 1999 tried to quiet the most controversial immigration opponents in the parliamentary party, who had gained influence since the 1994 national convention.<ref name="snlcih"/> In late 2000 and early 2001, opposition to this locally in [[Oslo]], [[Hordaland]] and [[Vest-Agder]] sometimes resulted in expulsions of local representatives.<ref name="snlcih"/> Eventually Hagen also, in various ways, got rid of the so-called "gang of seven" (''syverbanden''), which consisted of seven members of parliament.<ref name="vg311007">{{Cite news|url=http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/norsk-politikk/artikkel.php?artid=177606|title=Jeg har vært kravstor og maktsyk: Slik kvittet Carl I Hagen seg med "syverbanden" i Frp|trans-title=I have been demanding and power hungry: How Carl I Hagen rid himself of the "Gang of Seven" in the Frp|work=[[Verdens Gang]] |date=31 October 2007|first=Anne|last=Vinding|access-date=27 August 2010|language=no}}</ref> In January 2001, Hagen claimed that he had seen a pattern where these had cooperated on several issues,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.smaalenene.no/nyheter/article426472.ece|work=[[Smaalenenes Avis]]|title= Avkrefter påstander om kupp|trans-title=Denies coup allegations|date=23 January 2001|access-date=16 September 2010|language=no}}</ref> and postulated that they were behind a conspiracy to eventually get [[Øystein Hedstrøm]] elected as party chairman.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://tux1.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/d187202.htm|work=[[Aftenposten]]|title=Hagen frykter kupp i partiet|date=23 January 2001|access-date=16 September 2010|first=Gunnar|last=Magnus|language=no|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716233914/http://tux1.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/d187202.htm|archive-date=16 July 2011}}</ref> The seven were eventually suspended, excluded from or voluntarily left the party, starting in early 2001.<ref name="snl"/> They most notably included [[Vidar Kleppe]] (the alleged "leader"), [[Dag Danielsen]], [[Fridtjof Frank Gundersen]], as well as [[Jan Simonsen]].<ref name="vg311007"/> Only Hedstrøm remained in the party, but was subsequently kept away from publicly discussing immigration issues.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://dt.no/arkiv/superreserven-carl-i-hagen-1.3082925|title=Superreserven Carl I. Hagen|trans-title=Carl I. Hagen, the super-sub|first=Olav|last=Melbye|work=[[Drammens Tidende]]|date=30 August 2009|access-date=27 August 2010|language=no}}</ref>

This again caused turmoil within the party; supporters of the excluded members criticized their treatment, some resigned from the party,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ba.no/nyheter/politikk/article309716.ece|title=Haoko Tveitt melder seg ut av Frp|trans-title=Haoko Tveitt leaves the Frp|work=[[Bergensavisen]]|date=28 February 2001|first=Siri Haave|last=Høstmælingen|access-date=27 August 2010|language=no}}</ref> and some of the party's local chapters were closed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nrk.no/distrikt/sorlandet/nyheter/873630.html|title=Frp'ere melder seg ut|trans-title=Frp members leave the party|publisher=[[Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=8 March 2001|access-date=27 August 2010|language=no}}</ref> Some of the outcasts ran for office in the 2001 election in [[County lists for the 2001 Norwegian parliamentary election|several new county lists]], and later some formed a new party called the [[Democrats (Norway)|Democrats]], with Kleppe as chairman and Simonsen as deputy chairman. Though the "gang of seven" took controversial positions on immigration, the actions taken against them were also based on internal issues;<ref name="forhold">{{cite web|url=http://www.frie-ytringer.com/2009/09/10/mitt-forhold-til-fremskrittspartiet/|title=Mitt forhold til Fremskrittspartiet|trans-title=My relations with the Progress Party|publisher=Frie Ytringer, Jan Simonsen's blog|first=Jan|last=Simonsen|date=10 September 2009|access-date=27 August 2010|language=no|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912153817/http://www.frie-ytringer.com/2009/09/10/mitt-forhold-til-fremskrittspartiet/|archive-date=12 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/artikkel.php?artid=2699564|title=Kleppe suspendert|trans-title=Kleppe suspended|work=[[Verdens Gang]]|publisher=www.vg.no|date=7 March 2001|access-date=27 August 2010|language=no}}</ref> it remains unclear to what degree the settlement was based primarily on political disagreements or tactical considerations.{{Sfn|Skjørestad|2008|p=5}} Hagen's main goal with the "purge" was an attempt to make it possible for non-socialist parties to cooperate in an eventual government together with the Progress Party.<ref name="snl"/> In 2007, he revealed that he had received "clear signals" from politicians in among other the [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Democratic Party]], that government negotiations were out of the question so long as certain specific Progress Party politicians, including Kleppe and Simonsen (but not Hedstrøm), remained in the party.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/norsk-politikk/artikkel.php?artid=177633|title=Hedstrøm til angrep på Hagen |trans-title=Hedstrøm attacks Hagen|work=[[Verdens Gang]] |date=31 October 2007|first1=Anne|last1=Vinding|first2=Camilla|last2=Ryste|access-date=27 August 2010|language=no}}</ref> The more moderate libertarian minority in Oslo, including [[Henning Holstad]], [[Svenn Kristiansen]] and Siv Jensen, now improved their hold in the party.{{Sfn|Simonsen|2007|p=44}}