Kirsti Bergstø

Kirsti Bergstø
Bergstø in 2017
Leader of the Socialist Left Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 March 2023
First Deputy	Marian Hussein
Second Deputy	Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes
Preceded by	Audun Lysbakken
Chair of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Affairs
In office 21 October 2021 – 2 May 2023
First Deputy	Per Olaf Lundteigen
Second Deputy	Tuva Moflag
Preceded by	Erlend Wiborg
Succeeded by	Freddy André Øvstegård
First Deputy Leader of the Socialist Left Party
In office 18 March 2017 – 18 March 2023
Leader	Audun Lysbakken
Preceded by	Oddny Irene Miljeteig
Succeeded by	Marian Hussein
Member of the Storting
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 October 2021
Constituency	Akershus
In office 1 October 2013 – 30 September 2017
Constituency	Finnmark
Deputy Member of the Storting
In office 1 October 2005 – 30 September 2009
Constituency	Finnmark
Personal details
Born	(1981-07-01) 1 July 1981 (age 43) Rana Municipality, Nordland, Norway
Political party	Socialist Left
Domestic partner	Atle
Children	1

Kirsti Bergstø (born 1 July 1981) is a Norwegian politician serving as the leader of the Socialist Left Party since March 2023. She previously served as one of the party's deputy leaders from 2017 to 2023.

Personal life

Bergstø was born in Rana Municipality in Nordland.^[1] She is the daughter of Harald Bergstø who worked as a municipal fireman and Erna Bergstø who worked for the Norwegian welfare office.

She currently has a partner, and a son.^[2]

Political career

Youth wing

She is the former leader of the Socialist Youth, the youth wing of the Socialist Left Party, and held this position between 2006 and 2008.

Parliament

She served as a deputy representative to the Storting from Finnmark from 2005 to 2009.^[3] She was a deputy member of Finnmark county council from 1999 to 2003.^[1] From 2010 to 2012 she was a State Secretary in the Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion, ^[3] but she and Audun Lysbakken had to step down due to a political financing controversy regarding the appropriation of funds to organisations.^[4]

She was a member of the Storting from Finnmark from 2013 to 2017, and again, from Akershus since 2021. In addition, she became the chair of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Affairs, a position she held until 2023.^[5]

Party deputy leader

She was elected the party's deputy leader on 18 March 2017.^[6]

From April to September 2022, she was acting party leader while Audun Lysbakken was on parental leave.^[7]

Party leader

Following Lysbakken's announced departure as leader, Bergstø was floated as a possible contender to succeed him, alongside Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes and Kari Elisabeth Kaski.^[8] Bergstø officially declared her candidacy on 9 December.^[9] The party election committee unanimously designated her as party leader on 1 February 2023.^[10] She was formally elected leader on 18 March.^[11]

References

1. Åmås, Knut Olav, ed. (2008). "Bergstø, Kirsti". Hvem er hvem?. Oslo: Aschehoug. p. 57. ISBN 978-82-03-23561-0.
2. "Mistet faren til kreft og overlevde selv sykdommen: – Det ga meg en ny erkjennelse av hva fellesskap betyr" (in Norwegian). Rana Blad. 22 April 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
3. "Kirsti Bergstø" (in Norwegian). Storting.
4. "Lysbakkens - Department råd går av" (in Norwegian). NTB. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
5. "SVs Kirsti Bergstø blir arbeidsliv-topp på Stortinget" (in Norwegian). FriFagbevegelse. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
6. "Kirsti Bergstø er valgt som SVs nye nestleder" (in Norwegian). iFinnmark. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
7. "Audun Lysbakken tilbake etter pappaperm: − Vi får litt å arbeide med" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
8. "Var i konflikt med Kirsti Bergstø: − For meg er hun ikke noen lederkandidat" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
9. "Bergstø vil bli SV-leder: – Toppolitikken trenger en alenemor" (in Norwegian). NRK. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
10. "Kirsti Bergstø innstilles av enstemmig valgkomité" (in Norwegian). TV 2. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
11. "Kirsti Bergstø er SVs nye partileder" (in Norwegian). NRK. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.

Political offices
Preceded by Erlend Wiborg	Chair of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Affairs 2021–2023	Succeeded by Freddy André Øvstegård
Party political offices
Preceded by Audun Herning	Leader of the Socialist Youth 2006–2008	Succeeded by Mali Steiro Tronsmoen
Preceded by Oddny Irene Miljeteig	First Deputy Leader of the Socialist Left Party 2017–2023	Succeeded by Marian Abdi Hussein
Preceded by Audun Lysbakken	Leader of the Socialist Left Party 2023–present	Incumbent