Sylvi Listhaug

__NOTOC__[[File:Sylvi_Listhaug_2298_(cropped).jpg|thumb|right|165px|FrP official photo.]]{{politics}}
'''Sylvi Listhaug''' (b. December 25th, 1977, Ålesund, Møre og Romsdal) is a [[Norway|Norwegian]] politician and the current party leader of [[Fremskrittspartiet|Progress Party]] (FrP). She was an alternate representative in the Storting (Parliament) before being elected a full representative in 2017 for the area in which she was born.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190409032628/https://snl.no/Sylvi_Listhaug Olav Garvik and Knut Are Tvedt, "Sylvi Listhaug," ''Store norske leksikon'' ("Big Norwegian Lexicon"), updated September 3, 2018. Accessed April 9, 2019.]</ref>

==Controversies==
In 2017, Listhaug spoke at the Christian right-wing Oslo Symposium, an assembly not so much of Christlike do-gooders as [[Homophobia|homophobes]], anti-[[Abortion|abortion]] activists, and [[Islamophobia|Islamophobes]].<ref>[https://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/jesus-var-ikke-pa-oslo-symposium/67372608 Jarl Wåge, «Jesus var ikke på Oslo symposium» ("Jesus was not at the Oslo Symposium," ''Dagbladet'', March 6<small>th</small>, 2017. Accessed June 13<small>th</small>, 2019.]</ref>

After a short time in the position, Listhaug was forced to quit as justice minister<ref>[https://www.thelocal.no/20180320/sylvi-listhaug-resigns-as-norways-justice-minister "Sylvi Listhaug resigns as Norway's justice minister," ''The Local,'' March 20th, 2018. Accessed May 15th, 2019]</ref> when faced with a non-confidence motion after her already staunch anti-[[Immigration|immigration]] position ventured into a combination of [[Islamophobia]] and horrible taste. The vote was occasioned by a [[Social_media_platforms#Facebook|Facebook]] post that accused Arbeiderpartiet (The Labour Party), whose youth wing had been the target of [[Anders Behring Breivik]]'s terrorist attack, of coddling [[Islamism|Islamists]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/19/norway-minister-faces-no-confidence-vote-after-terrorism-post Henley, Jon. "Norwegian minister faces no-confidence vote after terrorism post." ''The Guardian'', March 19th, 2018. Accessed May 15th, 2019.]</ref> The post contained an image with armed Islamists, echoing far-right [[Eurabia]] memes then circulating in Norway – a nod that would be immediately obvious to the intended audience.<ref>Asbjørn Dyrendal and Terje Emberland, ''Hva er konspirasjonsteorier'' ("What are conspiracy theories?"). Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 2019, pp. 66-67.</ref> The caption of the meme read, as translated into English, "The Labour Party thinks the rights of terrorists are more important than the nation's security. Like and share."<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20190702034454/https://twitter.com/BTHansen/status/972128126997286914</ref> Listhaug posted this the very day a film on the Breivik killings hit Norwegian cinemas.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20190503224300/https://www.facebook.com/jonasgahrstore/posts/10156382008469238</ref> Had she not resigned, the coalition government likely would have fallen.

Listhaug had previously been involved in a range of smaller brouhahas, including a statement that [[Jesus]] would have opposed Norway's acceptance of immigration from the [[Near East]], the region he was, [[Evidence_for_the_historical_existence_of_Jesus_Christ|if anywhere]], from;<ref>[https://www.thelocal.no/20151104/jesus-would-back-tighter-immigration "'Jesus would back us on asylum': Norway minister," ''The Local'', November 4th, 2015]</ref> and several attacks against fellow [[Right wing|right-wing]] coalition partner the Kristelig Folkeparti (Christian People's Party) and its leader Knut Arild Hareide.<ref>[https://www.nrk.no/norge/her-er-syv-skandaler-hareide-og-krf-har-tilgitt-listhaug-og-frp-1.13968363 NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation), «Her er syv skandaler Hareide og KrF har tilgitt Listhaug og Frp» ("Here are seven scandals Hareide and the Christian People's Party have forgiven Listhaug and the Progress Party for")]</ref>

Listhaug, in a press conference, called the complaints leading to her stepping down a "real witch hunt,"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GptgFYop8mo?t=135 «Listhaug møtte pressen: - Det har vært en heksejakt» ("Listhaug meets the press: It has been a witch hunt"), ''Dagbladet'' YouTube channel, posted March 20<small>th</small>, 2018. Accessed June 13<small>th</small>, 2019.]</ref> echoing the language of [[Donald Trump]], and issued a somewhat hollow-sounding apology that likely differed from the official version she had agreed on with prime minister Erna Solberg.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180316023827/https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/kayo9k/vil-ikke-svare-paa-om-listhaug-trosset-erna-og-endret-paa-unnskyldningen Hibba Sarmadawy, Frank Ertesvåg, et al. «Vil ikke svare på om Listhaug trosset Erna og endret på unnskyldningen» ("Doesn't want to answer whether Listhaug defied Erna and changed the apology"). ''Verdens Gang'', March 15, 2018. Accessed July 12, 2019.]</ref> Rather than this ruining her career, though, Listhaug became deputy leader of Fremskrittspartiet in 2018.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190710164329/https://www.nrk.no/norge/sylvi-listhaug-konstituert-som-nestleder-i-frp-1.14192714 Linn Blomkvist and Line Tomter, «Sylvi Listhaug konstituert som nestleder i Frp» ("Sylvi Listhaug made deputy leader in Fremskrittspartiet"). NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation), September 3, 2018. Accessed July 10, 2019. In Norwegian.]</ref>

In 2019, as new minister of health, she promptly suggested Norwegians [[Alcohol|drink]], [[Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease|eat red meat]] and [[Tobacco smoking|smoke]] as much as they saw fit.<ref>[https://www.nrk.no/norge/folkehelseminister-listhaug-blaser-i-_moralpolitiet__-_-la-folk-royke_-drikke-og-spise-rodt-kjott-1.14539286 NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation), «Listhaug blåser i <moralpolitiet>: – La folk røyke, drikke og spise rødt kjøtt» ("Listhaug scoffs at the 'morality police': Let people smoke, drink and eat red meat"]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Danish People's Party]]
*[[Hans Jørgen Lysglimt Johansen]]
*[[Resett.no]]
*[[Christian Tybring-Gjedde]]

==External links==
*[https://www.facebook.com/listhaugfrp/ Listhaug's Facebook page (mainly in Norwegian)]
*[https://twitter.com/sylvilisthaug Listhaug's Twitter feed (mainly Norwegian)]

==References==
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{{stub|politicians}}
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[[Category:Norway]]
[[Category:European politicians]]
[[Category:Islamophobes]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Norway, European politicians, Islamophobes, Living people