Forty-six minutes after the news of the death came, the Conservative Party’s central office asked the entire organisation to hold back on political communication. Ine Eriksen Søreide was thereby abruptly given some breathing space from the 62 local branches demanding a retreat on the fuel issue.

Conservative Party leader Ine Eriksen Søreide has been under massive pressure after fuel taxes increased by NOK 4.50 per litre at midnight.

Last week, Nettavisen revealed that Søreide had urgently summoned the Conservative Party’s Central Executive Committee to a showdown meeting. There, she asked her party colleagues to stop the public attacks and raise their criticism internally.

The appeal did not work.

But on Friday morning, the Conservative Party leadership was given a new opportunity to stop the revolt.

Just 46 minutes after the news of King Harald’s death became known, the Conservative Party’s central office sent an email to the entire party organisation. The message went to the Central Executive Committee, the parliamentary group, county leaders, group leaders, association leaders and employees.

– For the party organisation, the clear advice is that external events should as a general rule be cancelled during the period, and that restraint should be exercised in political communication and activity, the email sent at 09.21 stated.

Since then, the Conservative Party has been quiet. The message came after a common political agreement between all the parties in the Storting to limit political activity during the period of mourning.

Came five hours before the Labour Party

The Conservative Party’s message went out approximately five hours before the Labour Party sent a similar appeal to the parties in the Storting.

Søreide had already tried to stop the public criticism, without succeeding. When the King’s death became known, the Conservative Party leadership took less than an hour to ask the entire party organisation to put political statements on ice.

At the same time, the revolt against the party leadership is growing.

According to Nettavisen, 62 local branches have signed a letter demanding that the Conservative Party reverse course on fuel taxes. Several local politicians say that they now find it difficult to speak publicly.

The revolt against Søreide has thus effectively been halted, at least for as long as the period of mourning lasts.

Rejects claims of a gag order

Conservative Party Secretary-General Tom Erlend Skaug rejects the suggestion that the message should be understood as a gag order.

– The parties in the Storting have agreed on a common practice for how we conduct ourselves during the period of mourning. That agreement means that we also communicate the practice to our party organisations, but with advice that restraint should be exercised in political communication and activity, Skaug tells Nettavisen.

He stresses that the guidelines are not binding.

– We always expect objectivity and a respectful tone from elected representatives and officials in the Conservative Party, but the parties in the Storting have naturally not imposed any binding guidelines on Conservative Party members. I do, however, think it is a fine common gesture that we respect the period of mourning, including when it comes to issues that arouse strong feelings.

Skaug also believes that local political debates should be toned down.

– I think it is natural to expect restraint when it comes to political debates during the period of mourning.

For Ine Eriksen Søreide, this means that the public criticism she was unable to stop on her own has now been put on ice by the party apparatus.