Throughout the year, Erna Solberg was the most preferred prime minister candidate among the voters. But the Labor Party leader Jens Stoltenberg has caught her one month before the elections. Both leaders have the support of 42 percent, according to the latest election polls.
Conservative politician André Oktay Dahl had recently critized Stoltenberg’s leadership connected to 22 July. This sensitive polemic seems to be counterproducive for the election favorite, Conservatives.
Solberg says Aftenposten that she does not stand behind Dahl’s contoversial statemens, but it does not help her party to lose its long dominance on the top of the election polls. MMI measurement done by Dagbladet shows a decrease of 5 percent in suppot to Solberg as prime minister. Also, another survey conducted by Infact shows that a clear majority believes Stoltenberg will be a more unifying leader than Solberg – 50 to 36 percent.
Election researcher and Labor party sympathizer Frank Aarebrot thinks Conservatives entered into extreme sport of high class when the party draws the politicial discussion into very sensistive 22 July. He believes Oktay Dahl’s statement is unbeliavable and can scare away voters.
