The new leader Rødt saved his party from a leadership crisis losing in the election campaign. But Marie Sneve Martinussen doesn’t know whether she will stay in her job.

He served as leader of Rødt at the start of the election campaign and the party has experienced a slight setback since the last municipal elections. But after a few words of consolation to party comrades swept away by the Høyre wave, Marie Sneve Martinussen became full of courage.

– Our project is to spread the party to several cities and become a national party. “If the numbers are correct it means we have succeeded,” Martinussen told VG.

– Will Norway become redder after this election?

Before answering, Martinussen contacted the number crunching officer in the secretariat in the back room to get the latest news.

– Yes, we will most likely get more Rødt politicians than before and will be present in many new city councils. So if the numbers hold, it’s likely Norway will become even redder, Martinussen said.

– Not optimal

Among other things, he hoped to get mayor Rødt in Kragerø.

– And in my hometown, Sør-Varanger, we are doing very well, he says proudly.

But the national election result of just under four percent is much lower than in last winter’s opinion polls.

After then party leader Bjørnar Moxnes stood up publicly and admitted that he stole sunglasses in Gardermoen, support fell rapidly. The election campaign started with around four percent support, and will probably end with much lower support.

– Was it Bjørnar Moxnes’ fault that Rødt didn’t perform better today?

– I can’t guess. In traveling around Norway, I heard a lot from people about their financial difficulties, and very little about Moxnes. However, changing party leadership seven weeks before the election is not optimal.

– Relieved that I didn’t fall

– At the moment I am relieved that I did not experience failure or chaos, said Sneve after several weeks of intense election campaigning.

He was praised for his powerful TV debates and clear politics in the run-up to the election.

– That’s good. I am like most Red politicians and am not very skilled in the art of speaking, but perhaps because of that I also have a clear and articulate language.

– First date

He was appointed party leader this summer, but must be elected by the national assembly to remain in office.

– Do you want to become a party leader?

– When I took over, I had little time to complete difficult and important tasks for Rødt. And then I don’t spend as many calories thinking about what happens after this election. This is a huge task.

– But it adds flavor?

– I have been the party leader for fifteen minutes. One should not decide to get married after the first date, Martiniussen said.