Erna Solberg confirmed her resignation. Norway’s Conservative Party (Høyre) leader said she will step down at an extraordinary party congress in February 2026 after the party’s weak 14.6% result in the parliamentary election. Solberg will remain a Member of the Storting for Hordaland after handing over the leadership.
Leadership transition set for 2026
At a press conference following Høyre’s executive meeting, Solberg asked the party’s central board to convene an extraordinary landsmøte in early 2026 to elect a new leadership.
“When Høyre lifts itself toward future elections, it will not be under my leadership,” she said, noting a “melancholic” mood but stressing continuity in parliamentary work. Solberg intends to continue representing Hordaland in the Storting (Stortinget) once the handover is complete.
Why now: election setback and accountability
Høyre secured 14.6% in the 2025 parliamentary election—one of its weakest showings in recent decades. Solberg took responsibility for the outcome, while rejecting the idea that she should have resigned earlier.
She declined to speculate on whether the 2023 stock‑trading affair involving her husband, Sindre Finnes, influenced support levels. The timing of the transition is designed to give the next leader a clear runway before the next electoral cycle.
Erna Solberg resignation and the Høyre succession
Høyre’s election committee will now shape the selection process ahead of the February 2026 congress. Potential successors discussed in party circles include Ine Eriksen Søreide, Henrik Asheim, and Peter Frølich.
Senior figures across the political spectrum—among them Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Statsminister) and Sylvi Listhaug of the Progress Party—praised Solberg’s long service and cross‑party cooperation. Youth wing leaders also paid tribute, underscoring her status as one of the party’s most enduring figures.
From ‘Iron Erna’ to prime minister
Solberg has been an MP for Hordaland since 1989, served as Minister of Local Government and Regional Development (Kommunal‑ og distriktsdepartementet) 2001–2005, and has led Høyre since 2004.
As Prime Minister (Statsminister) 2013–2021, she led centre‑right coalitions through a period marked by oil‑price shocks and the COVID‑19 pandemic, becoming the second‑longest‑serving conservative head of government in modern Norwegian politics. Her firm stance on governance early in her career earned the moniker “Iron Erna”.
What changes for Høyre in opposition
A leadership change gives Høyre space to reassess strategy after an election that consolidated Labour’s parliamentary majority and strengthened the populist right. The next leader will inherit a party with deep organizational roots, a sizeable national network, and long experience in coalition management—assets that could shape centre‑right cooperation before the next election cycle.
Solberg’s exit from the party leadership closes a 22‑year chapter that began in 2004. The February 2026 congress will determine Høyre’s next standard‑bearer and set the course for Norway’s centre‑right ahead of local and national contests. For now, Solberg remains an influential lawmaker from Hordaland and a touchstone for conservative politics in Norway.
