Party Program

Pragmatikernes DNA

Pragmatikerne is a social liberal party that believes in people. We believe that a society that takes care of its own — that gives people good jobs, good schools and the opportunity to start a family — is a society that also becomes rich, productive and free.

We don't start by cutting taxes and hoping everything works out. We don't start by increasing budgets and hoping the money goes to the right place. We start by making things better — and let the results shape the rest.

Core Values:

• People first, systems second. Good policy begins by understanding how people actually live — at work, at school, in families. Systems and structures are tools, not ends in themselves.
• Investment in people is investment in GDP. Children born, students who master their subjects, employees who thrive — these are not costs. They are the foundation for future value creation.
• Technology should solve problems. We are optimists. Technology can remove what wears people out, give students new tools and improve our services. We should embrace it, not fear it.
• Freedom through responsibility. People should have opportunities and freedom — but also expectations. A society that doesn't set demands fails its own people.
• Honesty about what works. We don't choose policy based on ideology, but on what actually works. Symbolic politics is wasted.
• Common resources belong to the commons. Natural resources, fjords, oil and hydropower belong to everyone. Private actors can lease access for payment and responsible stewardship — but ownership belongs to the commons.
• Challenge established power structures. Professional associations, monopolies and special interests that block sensible societal development should be challenged. Common interests trump special interests.

1. Public and Private — Who Does What

We believe in a strong public sector that takes responsibility for what builds society and protects citizens. We also believe in a free business sector that stands on its own two feet. The boundary between them should be clear.

Public Responsibility:

• Health. Hospitals, general practitioners, mental health, elderly care. Healthcare services are a common responsibility.
• Preparedness. Defense, police, fire, civil preparedness. Security is the state's core task.
• Education. Preschool, primary, secondary, and university. The whole course. Free Childcare for All.
• National culture and journalism. Culture that carries national identity and a strong, independent NRK.
• Infrastructure. Roads, railways, power grids, broadband, ferries — what binds the country together.
• Natural resources. Oil, hydropower, fjords, minerals belong to the commons. Private actors can lease access.
• Mass sports. Integrated more closely with school, inspired by the US model, so all children have access regardless of parents' finances.
• Public monopolies. We have no principled objection to monopolies as long as they are publicly controlled and serve the population. Where there is no functioning market, it is better for the public to take responsibility itself.

Private Responsibility:

• Entertainment. Private responsibility — voluntarily if possible. The public should not finance pure entertainment without cultural or social value.
• Elite sports. Mainly privately financed. The public can contribute with training facilities, parks and skiing slopes that also serve mass sports and public health.
• Business sector. Businesses should stand on their own feet. Support measures primarily through universities and free grants for research and early-stage innovation — not direct subsidies to individual companies.
• Commercial use of common resources. Fish farming in fjords, wind power, mineral extraction — private actors can operate these, but for rent and strict sustainability requirements. The fjords are a common resource that a few have been allowed to exploit. It should cost something, and it should be managed.

2. NRK and Democratic Debate — Substance Over Circus

We want a strong NRK with independent journalists who have the mandate and resources to scrutinize power. NRK should not chase clicks, headlines or pure entertainment without cultural or social value. Satire and socially challenging content is good. Light entertainment as basic programming is fine — but NRK should be too sophisticated to simply amplify one-liners from politicians.

Politicians should be held accountable for coherent views. Politicians who only repeat three points they care about — the same on every question — should be challenged, not quoted. NRK should replace some of the commentary culture with knowledge-based analysis. Politics is not a boxing match to be commentated — it is the premises for how society is built.

Press support with expectations. The Norwegian press receives significant public funding — and rightfully so. A democracy needs independent media that hold power accountable, uncover wrongdoing, and give people the basis for informed decisions. But the support cannot be unconditional. Media receiving press subsidies must deliver journalism with substance — not clickbait disguised as news. We do not wish to instruct newsrooms — that would undermine the entire point. But the framework for press subsidies shall be designed to promote quality journalism, investigative work, and diversity. We will develop new criteria for press support in dialogue with the Norwegian Union of Journalists, the Norwegian Editors' Association, and other relevant stakeholders — not to control content, but to ensure that public money contributes to journalism people actually benefit from.

The fourth estate must function. We have no illusions about controlling the media — and we don't want to. But we expect journalists to do their job: ask difficult questions, go in depth, and not allow themselves to be used as microphone stands for politicians and press departments. It is not the state's job to ensure this — but it is our job to make sure the framework doesn't work against it. When the media's business model depends on clicks and headlines, it becomes difficult to do investigative journalism. Press subsidies should counteract this pressure — not reinforce it.

Culture as a public good. National cultural institutions — the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, the National Theatre, the National Museum, and equivalents — shall continue to receive base funding. They carry national identity and artistic quality that cannot survive on the market alone. Tickets shall be partially subsidised so that culture is accessible to everyone, not just those with the highest incomes. The same applies regionally: local theatre groups, museums, music festivals, and cultural centres in rural areas shall have access to public funding. The community centre is the natural venue for much of this — local concerts, exhibitions, theatre performances, and cultural events that bind communities together. Culture is not decoration on top of society — it is part of the glue that holds it together.

3. School — Structure, Mastery and Competence

Norwegian schools have unrealized potential. Too many students — especially boys — drop out, lose motivation or leave without basic skills. We want a school that brings out the best in everyone.

Structure and Classroom Management. A good school has clear boundaries. Students need predictability, calm and a teacher who leads the classroom. Without this, nothing else works.

Basic Skills First. Reading, writing, arithmetic and oral communication are the foundation everything else builds on. These must be solid.

Competent Subject Teachers. A math teacher should be good at math. We want to require real subject matter expertise in the subjects you teach.

Multiple Paths to Learning. Students learn differently — some through theory, others through practice, collaboration or visual learning. Teachers must have the competence and freedom to adapt instruction.

AI and Modern Tools. Students should use all available tools to build competence, including artificial intelligence. Schools should prepare for the future, not preserve the past.

Early Language Focus. Stronger focus on language early in school, so students can use English-language teaching materials earlier. Norwegian schools should not limit themselves to Norwegian sources — the world is the classroom.

Mastery as a Driving Force. Schools should build up, not break down. We recognize that boys are falling behind, and that a broad mastery effort — with practical learning, variety and clear expectations — is the way forward. Vocational and practical subjects should have real equality with academic preparation programs.

Vocational Education for Future Needs. Norway is already short nearly 34,000 employees with vocational skills (NHO Skills Barometer 2024). Statistics Norway and NAV's projections show a persistent shortfall in vocational workers from 2026 onwards, particularly in electrical work, construction, and healthcare (NAV Environmental Analysis 2025–2035; Statistics Norway Note 2026/08). By 2040, there is expected to be a shortage of 30,000 nurses and 24,000 healthcare workers (Healthcare Union, "Recruitment Problems and Labor Shortages," 2024). Meanwhile, demand is growing for electricians, technicians, and professionals who can install and maintain green technology — heat pumps, solar panels, charging infrastructure and industrial robots. Vocational education must be sized to what society actually needs, not to what happens to be offered. We want the state to actively guide the allocation of vocational training places toward the greatest needs — healthcare, electrical work, construction and technical maintenance — and for apprenticeship subsidies to reflect this. Occupations disappearing to automation should be phased out from educational offerings. Occupations that are growing should have capacity, quality, and prestige.

Sports in Schools. Mass sports should be integrated more closely with education — inspired by the US model. School sports gives all children access regardless of parents' finances, builds a sense of mastery, and removes the cost burden that currently rests on families.

4. Study Financing — Life Stage Support, Not Debt

NAV gives you parental benefits while you care for a newborn. Sick leave while you recover. Unemployment benefits while you find a new job. Pensions after a lifetime of contribution. Everything is life stage support — society invests in you through a phase where you can't support yourself, because it needs you in the next phase.

Studies are exactly the same. Society needs your competence, and supports you while you build it. That this today lies in Lånekassen — and is called a "loan" — sends the opposite signal: that education is your private investment. This doesn't fit with a party that says investment in people is investment in GDP.

Study Support as Life Stage Support Through NAV.

We want to move study financing from Lånekassen to NAV and make it what it really is: a life stage support like parental benefits and sick leave. NAV becomes a life stage agency — not a welfare agency — that follows people through all phases where society invests in them. NAV should have a natural place in the community house, accessible where people live and work.

Basis and Bonus.

Students receive a basic grant that covers living costs — a minimum that society provides because it needs the competence. Today study support is about 167,000 kr/year, where up to 40 percent can be converted to a grant upon graduation (Lånekassen, 2025). We flip the logic: the basic support is a grant. Additionally, we introduce a progression bonus — an extra payment for each credit completed according to the study program. This replaces today's conversion mechanism with something simpler and more motivating: you get a bonus each time you deliver, not a loan that might become a grant three years down the line.

Why This Pays Off.

Average student debt upon graduation is about 440,000 kr (Lånekassen, "Education Support 2022 — Facts and Figures"). With that debt, many take the safe job to service the loan — not the entrepreneurial risk, not the interesting job in a small place, not having children early. Debt at the start of studies also hits unevenly: youth from lower socioeconomic groups are recruited less to higher education (Statistics Norway education statistics). Removing the debt barrier is both a freedom question and an equality question. Denmark has shown the way with the SU scheme — about 7,000 DKK/month as a pure grant (Ministry of Education and Research, 2024).

Abuse Is Prevented Through Design, Not Control.

The basic support is enough to live on, but not more. The extra — the progression bonus — you only get by delivering credits. Students who don't graduate within normal time plus one year lose their right to basic support. The system rewards those who deliver, not those who spend study time without results. And because NAV administers it, the transition to work, parental leave or possibly welfare is seamless — all in one system.

What It Costs.

Making base support a grant and adding a progression bonus costs an estimated 8–10 billion kroner extra per year. That is less than 5 percent of what sick leave and disability insurance cost (215 billion kr, 2026 state budget). The cost estimate needs further investigation — it depends on basic level, bonus rates and completion rates.

Vocational Education and Trade Certificates Are Treated Equally.

An electrician or healthcare worker in training invests as much time as a university student, and society needs them just as much. Life stage support applies to all educational pathways — including vocational education, certificates and apprenticeships. The progression bonus is adapted: for apprentices it can be linked to completed modules and passed trade exams.

5. Family — Making It Possible and Attractive to Have Children

Birth rates are falling. Young, competent people postpone having children because it conflicts with studies and career start. We want to reverse this — not through moralizing, but by removing the barriers.

Free Childcare for All. Eliminate parental fees completely. This is not an expense — it is an investment in workforce participation, equality and family finances. Childcare is infrastructure, like roads and schools.

Student Parent Package. It should pay to combine studies and having children. Increased study support, flexible study programs, prioritized childcare spots and adapted student housing for students who have children. We want to actively encourage young people to start families during their studies — ideally as part of a master's or doctoral degree. Having children early in your career gives a longer work career afterwards, and it gives Norway the children we need.

Birth Incentives. New economic incentives that make it easier to have children in your 20s and 30s. Norway needs more children, and policy must reflect that.

Flexible Parental Leave. Families are different. More freedom to distribute leave in a way that works for each family.

Housing for Young Families. Strengthen Husbanken and startup loan programs for young families establishing themselves. Housing policy should support family formation, not get in the way.

6. Working Life — Job Satisfaction Is the Best Efficiency Gain

Sick leave in the public and municipal sector is too high. Norway spends almost 75 billion kr on sick leave and over 140 billion kr on disability benefits — every single year. Our approach is simple: people who feel good at work are rarely sick.

Efficiency Does Not Mean Running Faster. When we talk about efficiency, we don't mean people should be pushed harder. We mean that workplaces should function better — through job satisfaction, manageable tasks and good leaders.

Measure Real Efficiency. A service with a low budget but high sick leave is not cheap — it is poorly run. The public sector should measure efficiency including sick leave in cost calculations. That changes the whole picture.

Start With the Employees. The path to lower costs starts with better care for employees. Constructive work environment, good leadership and manageable workload. Workplaces that break people down must change.

Separate Subject Leadership and People Leadership. Being the best in your field doesn't mean you're best at leading people. These are two different competencies. Subject leadership requires professional substance — the best surgeon should lead surgical work, the best engineer should lead technical work. But leading people, finances and operations requires different skills: empathy, communication, the ability to build teams and handle conflicts. The Defense has understood this for a long time — they distinguish between subject command and personnel responsibility, and train leadership as a separate discipline. Top sports knows the same: the best player rarely becomes the best coach. Both roles should have status and respect — one shouldn't have more prestige than the other.

The Biggest Quick Win: Public Leaders. Massive investment in the development and retraining of leaders in the public sector. Good leadership is the fastest path to better work environment, lower sick leave and higher efficiency. Leaders should have expertise in work environment and wellbeing, and should be measured on it — not just budget and production. We want to learn from the Defense: mission-based leadership where you give the goal and framework, but trust that people find the way. And learning culture after missions — where everyone speaks openly about what worked and didn't, regardless of position.

Prevention Over Repair. Every krone invested in prevention saves many kroner in sick leave. We want to shift resources from repair to prevention.

Spare the Worn Out. The heaviest occupations should be relieved — through technology (see section 8), better staffing, rotation schemes and flexibility. No one should be worn out by their job. The principle is that we shouldn't have grueling jobs — but we recognize they exist today, and we will take care of those in them while working to eliminate the root causes.

Understand Life Phases. People change throughout life — we have different capacities, strengths and needs at different stages. A 25-year-old and a 58-year-old are not the same, and that's a strength. Workplaces must become better at understanding this and using what people are actually good at in their life stage — not forcing everyone into the same mold. Young people can bring intensity and tempo, older people can bring experience and overview. The right task at the right stage gives better work life for everyone and fewer worn out.

Permanent employment is the norm. A full-time, permanent position is the starting point of Norwegian working life — and shall remain so. Part-time and temporary positions have their place, but only for those who want them: students with side jobs, retirees with extra work, parents in a phase where the family needs it, or people combining work with other activities. Everyone who wants to work full-time and does not receive other benefits shall have a real opportunity to do so. Involuntary part-time work and temporary contracts used as permanent staffing solutions are a sign that something is wrong with the workplace — not with the employee. The public sector shall lead the way: municipalities and health trusts that systematically use part-time positions instead of full positions shall be challenged on it.

Retraining (40–60) — Society's Second Major Investment. The first time society invests heavily in an individual is through education in their 20s. We want to introduce a second major investment — available from age 40 to 60: retraining. A structured program of 6-12 months that gives you pedagogy, mentoring skills or leadership on top of the experience you already have. The goal is to move people from roles their body or industry no longer tolerates, to roles where their experience is invaluable. The electrician with 30 years of practice becomes a vocational teacher — schools are crying for people with real experience. The nurse who can't handle shift work becomes a clinical mentor for newly trained nurses — the best mentors are those who've been there. The IT developer who can't keep up with the pace anymore learns to teach — AI expertise is needed everywhere. The store manager with 25 years of leadership experience becomes a career counselor at NAV. Retraining is financed as life stage support through NAV, the same model as study financing: basic grant plus progression bonus. The program costs about 200,000 kr per person, but the alternative — sick leave, early retirement, disability — costs millions. Retraining solves three problems at once: it gives seniors a dignified and meaningful end to their work life, it solves the shortage of teachers and mentors with practical experience, and it reduces sick leave and early retirement. The goal is that retraining at 55 becomes as natural as military service at 19.

Retraining is available from age 40, not just at 55. A nurse who is burned out after 15 years of shift work shouldn't have to wait until she's 55 for the opportunity. A store employee who sees automation coming at 43 should have the same right. The earlier people are retrained, the more good work years society gets back.

Concrete examples of retraining paths. An electrician with 30 years of experience takes 6–12 months of pedagogy and becomes a vocational teacher in electrical studies — schools lack people with real industry experience. A nurse who can no longer handle shift work takes the mentoring programme and becomes a clinical supervisor for new graduates. A carpenter with a master's certificate enrols in construction management at a vocational college and becomes a quality manager. A shop manager with 20 years of leadership experience takes NAV counsellor training and applies their career guidance expertise there. Common to all: they have competence society needs, but in a role the body or industry can no longer sustain. Retraining builds a bridge — it doesn't discard the experience.

Open questions: Which occupations should be prioritized first? Should retraining be a right or an offer? How to ensure quality in short programs? Can retraining be combined with gradual reduction in original occupation?

7. Welfare and Inclusion — Everyone Should Contribute According to Their Ability

The long-term goal is to get more people into paid work, so more contribute to society — while society's costs go down. Today the main challenge is disability benefits and work assessment allowance (AAP). The system is too binary: you're either "disabled" or "working". Reality is more nuanced than that.

A Platform That Secures — and Motivates. Welfare should ensure that everyone can live a decent life, even those who are 100% disabled. At the same time, it must always pay to work. These two things are not in conflict — if the system is designed correctly.

Soft Phase-Out, Not a Cap. Instead of saying "you can earn a maximum of X in addition to benefits", we will use base deductions and progressive rates. You keep almost all of the first kroner you earn. The deduction increases gradually. You should always be left with more by working than by not working.

A Fairness Cap. Welfare plus work income can never exceed what a colleague in the same position at 100% earns. It's a rule people understand and accept — and it ensures the system is perceived as fair for everyone who works.

Residual Work Capacity Is Not Just Hours Per Week. Many disabled people have good and bad periods. Some weeks they can't do anything, other weeks they could take on real work. Today's system doesn't capture this — it defines residual work capacity as a fixed percentage. We want to flip the logic: let people use their work capacity when it's there — in quick fixes, seasonal work, short projects and part-time jobs.

From Black to White. Many disabled people already contribute — through volunteering or through unreported work. That's because the system punishes them for earning money legally. Our model makes it simple and profitable to work within the system, so that the effort is channeled into forms where they earn money and contribute back with taxes and fees.

The Public Sector Must Lead the Way. The public sector must start seeing people and find ways to use the work capacity people actually have. Adapted positions, flexible arrangements and a culture where partial work capacity is a resource — not a problem. This connects with the working life section: good workplaces with good leadership can also include people who can't work full-time.

A Plan for Residual Work Capacity. We want to create a national plan for how residual work capacity can be better utilized — to the benefit of the individual and society. This fits into the whole: take care of people, let them contribute according to their ability, and build a system that makes both possible.

Disabled Abroad — Freedom With Return Guarantee. Today it's difficult to live abroad as a disabled person. The rules are unclear, the follow-up is poor, and many feel they're punished for trying. We will introduce an abroad program for disabled people using the same model as for pensioners: you keep your disability benefits, pay a small premium for a return guarantee, and have the right to come home to full support if you need it. The logic is simple: a disabled person living in Spain for half of Norwegian living costs has better quality of life, better health from sun and activity, and costs society less in Norwegian healthcare services. NAV administers the program. Health coverage is coordinated through EU/EEA agreements for European countries, and through insurance arrangements for countries outside the EU. The return guarantee is key: you still belong in Norway, no matter where you live.

Open questions: How to ensure good follow-up from NAV from a distance? Does it require bilateral agreements with popular countries (Spain, Portugal, Thailand)? How do we avoid the program being perceived as "exporting the disabled"?

8. Technology — Remove What Wears People Out

Many of the most demanding jobs in health, care and industry can be relieved with technology. Today most of the digitalization budget goes to administration. We want to change that.

Automating the Heavy. Massive investment in robotics and technology that relieves heavy lifting, repetitive tasks and demanding work. Focus on health, care and industry — where the need is greatest.

Technology in the Front Line. Digitalization investments should target where people actually work — not just in offices and administration. Nurses, cleaners, construction workers and care workers should feel the difference.

Systematic Review. We want to map the most demanding work tasks in the public sector and invest strategically in technological solutions for each of them.

Transition With Security. Employees affected by automation should get training and new opportunities. Technology should free people for better tasks, not make them redundant.

Norway as a Technology Leader. Build Norwegian expertise and industry in health technology and work-relieving robotics. There is demand for this around the world — there is export potential here.

9. Health — Public Backbone, Begin With the Employees

Healthcare services should be public and accessible to everyone. But it's hard to see how today's organization is optimal. From the media and from employees themselves, it looks like exploitation of individuals and dysfunctional management. We want to take healthcare seriously — as a workplace, not just as a service provider.

Labor Laws Apply in Healthcare Too. Labor laws should apply to everyone — including healthcare. Rest time between shifts, appropriate workload and the right to a sustainable work life are not things you can ignore because "that's how it's always been". During acute events it may be necessary to deviate, but that should be the exception — not the norm.

Leadership Is a Separate Discipline — Especially Here. The distinction between subject leadership and people leadership (see section 6) may be most acute in healthcare. That you're a skilled surgeon means you can lead surgical work — but it doesn't mean you're good at leading finances or people. Healthcare has a culture where prestige follows the profession, and leadership is seen as something you "get" on top of a professional career. That has to change. Professional leadership with expertise in work environment, personnel management and operations should have equal respect as professional leadership. Both are necessary — but they require different people with different abilities.

Public Healthcare That Works. The public sector is the backbone. The main focus should be on building good public services that people trust and that deliver quality.

Separate Public and Private for Doctors. It doesn't make sense for the same doctors to work in both systems. Private healthcare is fine, but not at the expense of the public service. We need a clear distinction.

Challenge Special Interest Organizations. Organizations like the Medical Association and other professional associations have been allowed to define the framework for healthcare too much — in favor of their own members' short-term interests and at the expense of society's needs. We want to challenge these power structures where they hinder necessary social development. Professional interests should not trump patient and societal interests.

Start With the Employees. Healthcare workers are worn out. Measures that provide better working conditions, lower sick leave and sustainable careers are the first priority. You cannot provide good care if you are exhausted yourself.

Real Efficiency Measures. Efficiency in healthcare should be measured in total costs — including sick leave. A department with a low budget and high absenteeism is not running efficiently.

Prevention and Public Health. Flytte ressurser fra behandling til forebygging. Det er billigere og bedre å holde folk friske enn å reparere dem etterpå.

Psykisk helse. Styrke tilbudet kraftig, spesielt for unge og for ansatte i belastende yrker. Psykisk helse er helse.

Drugs — Help, Not Punishment. People dependent on drugs are sick people who need treatment and a dignified life — not punishment. We are open to decriminalizing and carefully legalizing drugs that are at the same level as alcohol in terms of harm. It makes no sense to ban what large parts of society think is fine — what matters then is to remove the criminality around sales and distribution, and help people live good lives. Treatment should be based on what works and gives quality of life. LAR and other substitution programs should be supported and developed. If some can be cured, that's great — but quality of life is more important than ideals of drug-free living.

10. Energy and Climate — Honest Technology Optimism

The climate challenges are real. But we believe the solution lies in what Norway does best — technology, innovation and engineering — not in bans, taxes and symbolic politics.

The Oil Fund is the Transition. We are already converting oil and gas into stakes in international companies. The Oil Fund is Norway's future insurance, and the transition happens every single day through the fund's investments.

Honesty About Electrification. Electrification of the continental shelf is not necessarily holistically correct. We want climate policy that withstands an honest cost-benefit assessment, not symbolic politics that looks good in a press release.

Build Infrastructure for Future Energy. Continue investing heavily in electricity infrastructure and explore alternatives — geothermal, solar panels, and other renewable sources. Energy supply should become broader and more robust.

Innovation Over Regulation. Focus on research, development and commercialization of green technology. Norway should make money on the climate transition — CCS, offshore wind, batteries, hydrogen.

No Punitive Taxes on Daily Life. Climate policy should not make life more expensive for ordinary people. Incentives rather than taxes.

11. Agriculture and Food — Think New About Food Security

Norwegian agriculture needs a new model. Today's system of tariffs and subsidies creates expensive food and maintains structures that don't necessarily serve society. We want to think differently — from preparedness and society's interests, not from the perspective of the Farmers' Association and monopolies.

Food Security as Preparedness. Agricultural support should be justified by food security and preparedness — not by maintaining a particular industry structure. We must ensure Norway can feed itself, but that doesn't mean today's system is the only way to do it.

Focus on What Norway Can Do. Produce food that it is traditionally possible to make in Norway. Don't waste resources forcing production that the climate and nature aren't suited for.

Sustainable Management. Avoid overexploitation of pastures, fjords and other resources. Natural resources should be managed for the future, not exploited for short-term gain.

Challenge the Monopolies. The Farmers' Association, Tine, Nortura and others have gained too much power over Norwegian food policy. We want an agriculture policy that serves consumers and society, not just organized special interests.

Lower Food Prices. By thinking differently about tariffs and subsidies, we can reduce food prices for Norwegian consumers. How this should be done within the EEA — and eventually within the EU — must be thoroughly investigated.

New Thinking Required Here. We don't have all the answers, and we're honest about it. But the direction is clear: yes to food security, but based on common sense and society's interests — not on protecting established structures.

12. Immigration — Open, But in Line With Society's Capacity

Norway is part of the world and should take its responsibility. We can certainly be liberal on immigration — as long as society can absorb it. The pace must match the capacity to integrate.

Our Share, No More. Norway should fulfill its international obligations for refugees and asylum seekers. We should take our fair share — neither more nor less.

Open to Those Who Contribute. People who can and want to contribute to Norwegian society should have the opportunity to come here. Skilled immigration and work-based immigration are positive for Norway.

Culture and Religion are Free. People should be allowed to have their own culture and religion. Norway is a free country, and that applies to everyone who lives here. But everyone must contribute constructively to society — that is the expectation that comes with freedom.

Integration With Expectations. Those who come here must learn Norwegian, work and participate in society. Clear expectations and clear consequences. Integration is a two-way process — but it is the person who comes who bears the greatest responsibility for adapting.

No Parallel Societies or Ghettos. We must actively prevent parallel societies where people live outside Norwegian community. Negative social control and oppression should be countered. Housing policy, school policy and integration measures must be designed so that segregation does not take hold.

13. Crime and Justice — Remove the Foundation, Not Just the Symptoms

The best crime policy is one that prevents crime from happening. Our approach is to remove the foundation for organized crime and give children and young people good alternatives — not to compete about who will punish hardest. The level of punishment in Norway is adequate.

Remove the Business Model for Crime. Regulated legalization of the least harmful drugs (see section 9) removes the most important revenue source from organized criminals. Moving further away from cash removes the infrastructure they need for money laundering and black economy. When you remove the money, you remove much of the motivation.

Prevention Through Good Growing-Up Environments. Youth clubs with adults present, sports in school, community houses as meeting places — all of this gives children and young people a place to be and people to belong to. Young people with good alternatives are less vulnerable to recruitment into criminal environments.

Separate Police and Prosecution. We want to investigate a clearer separation between police and prosecution, drawing on examples from countries where this works well. The police should be a service to the people and contribute to order and safety in society. They should be the only ones who can exercise force — but the prosecution authority should be independent. Where investigation should be located must be thoroughly investigated.

Police as Safety, Not Punishment. When prosecution is separated, we are left with a police force that people can trust as an independent actor — not one concerned with punishing. The police should not engage in political advocacy about drug policy, punishment levels or other policy areas. They are a tool for society, not a voice for positions.

14. Europe — Yes to EU

Norway should be a full member of the EU. We believe in European cooperation, a common market and democratically rooted institutions. But two things are non-negotiable:

Food Security. Norway should secure its own food production. Within the EU there are arrangements for this — Finland and Sweden face similar challenges and have found solutions.

Distributed Settlement. Norway's geography requires an active regional policy. EU membership should not mean centralization. Norway must negotiate frameworks that support distributed settlement.

15. Foreign Policy and Aid — Honest About What We Can and Cannot Do

Norway is a small country. We should have a clear voice, but we should be honest about our reach.

The Arctic is Not Negotiable. Our maritime areas, resources and sovereignty in the north are a core interest. Here Norway should be crystal clear and consistent — toward Russia, toward allies, toward everyone. Arctic policy should not be diplomatic pleasantries, but real assertion of interests.

Human Rights and International Norms. Norway should continue to speak about human rights and democracy in international forums. But we should be honest that a small country rarely changes others' behavior through statements and resolutions. We should say what we mean — without imagining that it gives us an activist role on the world stage.

Aid That Builds Up, Not Fixed Transfers. We don't believe that permanent money transfers over time produce lasting results. Aid should be about building competence — education, institutional capacity and knowledge that enables countries to stand on their own feet. Disaster relief is a given — Norway will step up there. But development aid should be measured by whether it actually develops something.

International Law is Our Insurance. As a small country, we are completely dependent on a rules-based world order. Without international law and international institutions, it's the big ones who decide. We should defend the rules-based order — not because we are idealists, but because it is in our own interest.

NATO and Alliances. Norway should be a reliable NATO ally (see section 19). EU membership (see section 14) strengthens our foreign policy position — alone we are small, together with Europe we have weight.

16. Economics and Taxation — Capital Should Work, Not Sleep

Lower Costs, Then Lower Taxes

Better working environment → Lower sick leave → Lower costs → More people working → Larger tax base → Room for lower taxes

It is costs that should drive tax levels, not the other way around. We don't start by cutting services to finance tax reductions. We start by making things work better — and use the savings to give people and businesses more freedom.

Tax Cuts as Results, Not Starting Points. When the public sector is run well, with low sick leave and good efficiency, resources are freed up. These should be returned to ordinary people, businesses, entrepreneurs and through lower taxes.

The Enormous Potential. Sick leave and disability insurance together cost over 215 billion kr annually. Even a moderate reduction in sick leave frees up billions — without cutting a single service.

Move Capital From Real Estate to Value Creation

Norwegian tax policy has created an economy where too much capital sits in real estate and too little goes to innovation and scaling up business. We need to change that. It should pay off to take risks and build functioning businesses that contribute back to society — not to sit on a third property.

Eliminate Transfer Tax. Transfer tax is a punitive tax on moving. It prevents mobility in the housing market and hits young people trying to get in. It should be eliminated.

Capital Gains Tax on Real Estate. The tax exemption on the sale of one's own home is replaced with tax on realized gains. The principle is simple: housing gains are treated the same as other capital gains. You don't tax your home — you tax the gain you take out.

Universal Capital Account. Based on the share savings account model: gains from the sale of real estate, shares or other capital can be reinvested tax-free — in a new home, securities or a business. Tax is triggered only when the gain is withdrawn for consumption. Value-adding investments in real estate are approved through documented invoices from approved companies. Rental income and dividends are taxed on an ongoing basis. The principle: we tax consumption of capital gains, not movement of capital.

Raise the Exemption in Wealth Tax to About 10 Million. Then most people escape wealth tax — including entrepreneurs and small business owners who are today punished for having capital in working businesses. Wealth tax on working capital is phased down.

Property Tax is Local Democracy. Municipalities decide for themselves whether they want property tax. The state does not interfere.

VAT is the Most Regressive Tax. Value-added tax hits those with the lowest income hardest. We want to keep VAT levels down and over time look at differentiation.

The Tax Burden on Services — the Invisible Wall

When you hire a tradesperson in Norway, you don't just pay for the work. You pay a combined tax burden that makes legal services disproportionately expensive — and that drives people to do the job themselves or buy black market services.

The Calculation That Explains It All. A plumber earns 550,000 kr gross. The employer pays 14.1% employer's tax on top of this — about 78,000 kr (Norwegian Tax Authority, 2025). The plumber pays about 33% income tax — about 180,000 kr. The customer pays 25% VAT on the entire bill. Of every krone the customer pays, well over half goes to the state in various taxes and fees. The combined tax burden on labor — the "tax wedge" — is 36.4% in Norway, on par with Denmark (36.1%) and lower than Sweden (41.5%), but above the OECD average of 34.9% (OECD Taxing Wages, 2025). When you add 25% VAT on top of this, the real tax burden for the buyer of a service is far higher than these figures show.

The Consequences are Predictable. The Norwegian Association of Home Owners found that one in four Norwegians has been offered black market work by a tradesperson. Ten percent of consumers buy black market — and 53 percent cite lower price as the reason (Norwegian Association of Home Owners, 2018). The Norwegian Tax Authority estimates that workplace crime and black economy account for approximately 40 billion kroner in unpaid taxes and fees annually (Norwegian Tax Authority/Economic Analysis, 2017). Meanwhile, people do electrical and plumbing work themselves — with fire hazard and water damage as a result — because the legal alternative is too expensive.

A Regulatory Paradox. Electrical work must always be done by a qualified tradesperson (Norwegian Building Authority). Plumbing work requires documentation and certification. But when the price difference between black market and legitimate work is 40–50 percent — the sum of employer's tax, income tax and VAT that disappear — many choose to take the risk. We regulate trades strictly, but create a tax system that actively undermines compliance.

What Other Countries Do. Sweden introduced ROT deduction in 2009 — a 30% tax deduction on labor costs for home repair services. According to Building Industry Cooperation, black market work in the construction industry fell by up to 90% in the first years (Swedish National Audit Office, 2023). The arrangement is not perfect — it costs the state money and also subsidizes work that would have been done legally anyway — but it shows that price signals work.

Our Direction. We want to investigate a Norwegian model for tax deductions on craftwork services, adapted to Norwegian conditions. The goal is to reduce the effective tax burden on labor purchased by individuals, so that legitimate work can compete with the black market. At the same time, we want to look at the total tax burden on services — the sum of employer's tax, income tax and VAT — as a whole, not as isolated items. When the total tax wedge on an hour of work exceeds 50 percent of what the customer pays, we have a structural problem that no inspection campaign can solve.

Business Support Through Knowledge, Not Subsidies

Universities with Two Legs: Free Research and Public Missions. Universities should have free funds for basic research — because breakthroughs cannot be ordered. At the same time, there should be targeted programs with earmarked funding to solve concrete societal challenges: technology that makes healthcare more efficient, better models for leadership in the public sector, solutions for including people with residual work capacity, and other areas where society needs answers. Both are necessary — basic research provides the knowledge base, public missions provide direction and pace. Support for innovation should go through these channels, not as direct subsidies to individual businesses.

Don't Subsidize Real Estate Over Working Capital. The tax system should reward investment in businesses and jobs, not passive real estate ownership.

Free Childcare and Automation Fund. Free childcare pays for itself through higher workforce participation. The automation fund pays itself back through lower sick leave and longer work careers.

17. Pensions — Sustainable Without Major Upheavals

The pension system where employers and individuals contribute to their own pension is established and functioning. We don't want to substantially change it. The best pension policy is to ensure more people work — more children growing up, more disabled people contributing according to their ability, more immigrants participating in working life. This secures the funding base without changing the model.

For the most demanding occupations, we solve the problem at the source: automation, better working conditions and good leadership mean people stay longer in work. But we are honest: some occupations — firefighters, construction workers, offshore workers — are physically demanding regardless of how well the workplace is organized. For these, earlier retirement age may be appropriate. The principle is that we should have fewer people worn out, not that we pretend they don't exist.

Pensioner Abroad — Freedom With Return Guarantee. Many pensioners want to spend part of the year or some years abroad — in Spain, Turkey, Thailand or other places with better climate and lower living costs. Today they fall between systems: they risk losing healthcare rights, and if something happens it's unclear how to get back home. We want to create a clear framework: you notify NAV, you continue paying reduced taxes — lower than at home because you use fewer Norwegian services — and in return you keep a full return guarantee. This means the right to come home and go directly into the Norwegian health system and care, without waiting time and without quarantine.

Within the EU this is easier to coordinate — health rights already partly follow through the EEA and the European health card. With full EU membership (see section 14) it becomes even smoother. Outside the EU it requires bilateral agreements, but the principle is the same: you pay in, society guarantees that you belong.

The responsibility is the individual's — you choose for yourself where you want to live, and you organize the practical aspects yourself. But society should have a program that makes it possible and safe. This is good life-stage policy: a healthy 70-year-old in Spain uses no Norwegian health services those months, and the reduced tax finances the return guarantee for those who need it. Concrete design — tax levels, contractual frameworks, health coverage in various countries — must be investigated.

18. Equality — A Given

We expect equality — across gender, age, sexual orientation, religion and ethnicity. Equal pay for equal work, equal opportunities, and zero tolerance for discrimination. The EU does important work in this field, and we will support and follow up on it. Equality is not a campaign issue for this party — it is a fundamental prerequisite that applies to everyone.

19. Defense — Solid Ally

Norway should fulfill its NATO obligations and be a reliable ally. Defense is important, but it is not what defines this party — we do not use defense policy to position ourselves. We follow the consensus line and do it properly.

NATO and the 2% Target. Norway should meet NATO's two percent target for defense spending. It is not a ceiling — it is a floor. We should be the ally that delivers, not the one that explains.

Support for Ukraine. Norway should continue to support Ukraine — militarily, humanitarily and economically. It is about Ukraine's right to self-determination, but also about defending the rules-based world order we depend on.

Nordic Defense Cooperation. With Sweden and Finland in NATO, we have a historic opportunity. The Nordic region can become an integrated defense region — with joint exercises, shared infrastructure and coordinated presence. This delivers more defense capability for the money.

Norwegian Defense Industry. Norway has a strong defense industry that delivers world-class results. It shall be strengthened — because we need it ourselves, and because it is a technology locomotive with export potential. Defense industry is technology policy.

Keep the People. The Defense struggles to retain competent personnel. This is the same problem we see in healthcare and other public sectors: people leave because working conditions are not good enough. The principles from section 6 apply here too — good leadership, sustainable careers and a working life people want to stay in.

Civil Preparedness and Resilience. Total defense is not just about soldiers. Cybersecurity, protection of critical infrastructure, and resilience against influence operations are equally important. Society as a whole must be robust.

Autonomous Weapons Systems. Norway should work internationally to regulate fully autonomous weapons. Technology optimism does not mean machines should decide who lives and dies.

20. Housing — Let People Live

The housing market in Norway is dysfunctional. Prices have been driven up by the tax system, too little construction and a densification policy that pushes people into expensive, cramped apartments. We attack this from three sides at once.

Remove Tax Incentives That Drive Up Prices. Today, housing is Norway's most tax-favored investment. Capital gains tax on housing (see section 16), universal capital account that puts housing on equal footing with other capital, and eliminating transfer tax fundamentally change the dynamics. When housing is no longer the safest tax-free investment, pressure eases.

Raise the Wealth Tax Exemption. With an exemption of about 10 million, most homeowners escape wealth tax. This removes the need for having another property as tax planning. At the same time, entrepreneurs and small business owners are protected, as they are currently penalized for having capital in their business.

Regulate to Build. Land planning should facilitate single-family homes, townhouses and good suburbs (see section 21). More construction of housing people actually want to live in — with space for children, outdoor areas and neighborhoods — dampens prices from the supply side. Municipalities should have the tools and incentives to regulate enough land.

Combined Effect. When tax advantages disappear, more homes are built, and people don't need to cluster around a few hubs, prices will fall naturally. Making housing cheap is not an end in itself — the goal is a market where ordinary people can afford a home without taking unreasonable risk.

21. All of Norway — Spread Out, Don't Crowd Together

Densification policy has failed as a recipe for a good life. Building high-rises around transit hubs and transporting people like sardines from where they live to where they work is not the best we can do. After a few business cycles, you end up with low-income people in blocks and growing environments no one would choose. More highways into cities are not the answer either. We must think differently.

Single-Family Homes as Starting Point. We will actively regulate to build single-family homes, townhouses and good suburbs — not high-rises. Families need space, children need outdoor areas, and people need neighborhoods where they know each other. Land planning should facilitate this.

Good Centers and Suburbs. Instead of concentrating everything around a few hubs, build multiple vibrant local centers with services, commerce and meeting places. Distributed, but with quality.

Decentralized Work. Many no longer need to commute daily. The party will actively promote decentralized work — especially in the public sector. When people can work where they live, they don't need to live expensively and cramped near the center.

Coworking Spaces in the Neighborhood. Establish local co-working spaces in connection with libraries and community houses — places where it is reasonable to rent office space so you don't have to work from home. It is healthy to walk 10–15 minutes to "the office." The infrastructure already exists in most municipalities — we just need to use it more intelligently.

In-Person Meetings are the Employer's Responsibility. Decentralized work only works if employers actively maintain the social fabric. Regular in-person meetings — weekly or monthly — are not a bonus, but a core task for leaders. Social structures at work are a prerequisite for job satisfaction.

Transport og samferdsel

Maintain What We Have. Norway has built extensive infrastructure. Before we build new, we must ensure that what we already have actually works — roads, railways, ferries and public transportation that are maintained and reliable. The maintenance backlog is a disgrace.

Public Transit to the Community House. All centers built according to the community house model (see section 22) should have appropriate public transit. When we gather services locally, people must also be able to get there without a car. It is not about building subways everywhere, but about finding solutions that fit locally — buses, on-demand transport, carpooling.

Solve the Rush-Hour Congestion. The public transit situation around major cities, especially during rush hour, is not dignified. People are transported like sardines because everyone goes to and from work at the same time. The answer is not just more trains and buses — it is to ensure not everyone has to travel at the same time. Decentralized work (see above), flexible working hours in the public sector, and community houses with coworking in the neighborhood reduce traffic peaks without building for capacity needed only two hours a day.

Smarter Transport. For those who need to travel, use new technology to solve transport smarter — not just build more tracks and wider roads.

Spredt bosetting er ikke forhandlbart. Det er en del av hva Norge er. God digital og fysisk infrastruktur skal binde landet sammen.

22. The Community House — The Heart of the Local Community

Instead of each public service having its own building, administration and logic, we gather what people need in their daily lives in one vibrant center. The community house is the party's model for local infrastructure — a new way to think about how public services are delivered.

What It Contains. A community house can contain a library, school and recreation programs, coworking spaces, café and cafeteria, health services, local administration — and preferably attached housing for disabled people and nursing homes. Sports facilities and outdoor areas are shared between school, community sports and public health. Not every location needs everything, but the concept is flexible.

Efficiency Through Co-Location. One cafeteria serving school students, coworkers, health personnel and nursing home residents. Shared reception, cleaning, custodian and administration. That is efficiency through smart organization — not through cutting services.

Inclusion Built Into the Architecture. People with disabilities and the elderly live next to life — not isolated in an institution. School students see elderly people daily. Disabled people working at the coworking space see people from all life stages. Natural inclusion without special programs and initiatives.

Plattform for restarbeidsevne. Et samfunnshus har masse oppgaver som passer for folk med delvis arbeidsevne — kafédrift, bibliotekassistanse, aktiviteter for eldre, vedlikehold, arrangementer. Skippertak-modellen fungerer perfekt her: det trengs ekstra hender til arrangementer, sesonger og travle perioder.

Youth Clubs and Safe Spaces. The community house should have youth clubs and activities for children and young people — with adults present. Disabled people in part-time work can fill this role and give young people trusted adults to relate to. That is prevention in practice: young people who have a place to be and someone to talk to are less vulnerable to recruitment into crime.

Plattform for frivillighet og dugnad. Lokale arrangementer, konserter, kurs, hobbyklubber — samfunnshuset er den naturlige arenaen for frivillig aktivitet og det sosiale limet i et nabolag.

A New Cornerstone Business. For many small places in Norway, a community house with coworking spaces can become a sustainable cornerstone business — one that cannot move abroad or go bankrupt. When young families can work remotely, live in single-family homes for a fraction of big city prices, and have school, jobs and services within walking distance — then it becomes attractive to live in small places again. Not as nostalgic regional policy, but as a genuinely better life.

Pragmatic Implementation. Do what makes sense locally. Renovate existing municipal buildings, libraries or schools where it makes sense, build new where needed. No monuments — things that work in practice. The combination of public budgets and commercial activity (coworking, cafés) can make the concept partly self-financing.

The Red Thread

This party is about one fundamental insight: a society that takes care of its people becomes a society with lower costs and more freedom.

We do not believe in cutting our way to prosperity. We do not believe in spending our way to prosperity. We believe in functioning our way to prosperity — through schools that bring out the potential in everyone, workplaces that build up instead of breaking down, technology that removes what wears people out, and family policy that makes it possible to live a full life.

And we dare to challenge those who stand in the way — whether it is the Medical Association, the Farmers' Association, a tax system that rewards passivity, or a political debate culture that prefers one-liners over holistic thinking.

Implementation Plan — A Realistic Sequence

A party program is not a wish list. The sequence in which things are done is as important as what is done. This plan is a proposal — not the only way — but it follows a logic: start with what gives returns fastest, so that the gains finance the next step.

We also ask questions we don't yet have answers to. That is a strength, not a weakness.

Phase 1: Leadership and Work Environment (Years 1–2) — "Clean Up Our Own House"

Before we change systems, structures or tax levels, we must fix what is most urgent and cheapest to start with: how the public sector is led.

What We'll Do:

• Massiv satsing på lederutvikling i offentlig sektor — oppdragsbasert ledelse, arbeidsmiljøkompetanse, skille mellom fagledelse og menneskeledelse. Dette er det største enkelttiltaket for lavere sykefravær.
• New efficiency measurement: all public organizations measure real efficiency including sick leave. A department with a low budget and 15% absence is not cheap — it's poorly run.
• Map the most burdensome work tasks in the public sector as a basis for technology initiatives in phase 2.
• Begin pilot projects for the community house concept in 5–10 municipalities — co-locating schools, libraries, health services, office space and cafés.

What It Costs:

Relatively little. Leadership development and new measurement require reprioritization, not large new appropriations.

What It Delivers:

Lower sick leave is the fastest source of savings. A one percentage point reduction in sick leave in the public sector frees up billions. These savings finance the next phase.

Questions We Must Ask:

Do we have enough good leadership developers in Norway to implement this at scale? How do we prevent this from becoming yet another "program" that misses the reality of frontline work?

Phase 2: Technology and Study Financing (Years 2–4) — "Invest in People and Tools"

When leadership is in place, we invest in what delivers lasting impact.

What We'll Do:

• Massive investment in technology that alleviates demanding occupations — robotics, automation and digital tools in health, care and industry. Focus on frontline, not administration.
• Move study financing from Lånekassen to NAV as life-stage support. Base support as a grant, plus progression bonus per completed credit. NAV becomes a life-stage agency — with a natural place in the community house.
• Size vocational education after society's documented needs — increase capacity in health, electrical and green technology. Phase out training in disappearing occupations.
• Free childcare is introduced.
• Pilot projects for new benefits model: soft phase-out and workaround model in selected municipalities.

What It Costs:

Substantial. Life-stage support for students costs 8–10 billion kr/year, free childcare about 10 billion kr/year, technology investments depend on ambition level. But free childcare recovers much through increased workforce participation, and technology investments deliver lower sick leave and longer work careers.

What It Delivers:

A workforce that starts debt-free, vocational education that delivers what society needs, healthcare workers who aren't worn out as quickly, and a coherent support system for all life stages.

Questions We Must Ask:

Does NAV have the capacity and expertise to take over study financing — or does it need reorganization first? How do we ensure the progression bonus actually increases completion rates and not just faster, lower-quality studies? What technology is mature enough to be rolled out at scale now?

Phase 3: Tax and Structure (Years 3–5) — "Move Money to Where It Works"

When efficiency improvements deliver results and more people are working, we have room to change the tax system.

What We'll Do:

• Introduce universal capital account — capital gains are taxed when consumed, not when moved.
• Capital gains tax on housing replaces today's tax exemption.
• Eliminate transfer tax.
• Raise the exemption in wealth tax to about 10 million.
• Introduce tax deductions for craftwork after the Swedish model — reduce black market work by lowering the price of legitimate work.
• Roll out new benefits model nationally based on pilot project experiences.

What It Costs:

Tax changes are largely revenue-neutral — they shift the tax burden, not remove it. Tax deductions for craftwork cost, but recover some through reduced black economy.

What It Delivers:

Capital moves from real estate to value creation. Housing prices moderate. It pays to hire tradespeople legally. Disabled people who want to work can do so without being penalized.

Questions We Must Ask:

How do we prevent falling housing prices from hitting those who just bought? What's the right transition period? Can the labor market handle more disabled people entering — or do we need more jobs first?

Phase 4: Public/Private Boundary (Years 4–7) — "Do What Works, Regardless of Who Does It"

Now that we have data on what works and what doesn't, we can take bigger structural steps.

What We'll Do:

• Evaluate what should be public and what should be private — based on what actually delivers quality, not ideology. Some services work better publicly, others better privately. We follow the evidence.
• Where privatization has weakened quality or increased costs, consider bringing the service back under public management. Where public management is inefficient and private competition delivers better results, open up.
• Clear separation between public and private doctors — end to the same doctors working in both.
• Challenge special-interest organizations (Medical Association, Farmers' Association, monopolies) where they block necessary change.
• Roll out community houses nationally based on pilot experiences.

What It Costs:

Depends on direction. Taking back privatized services costs in the short term; opening up to more competition costs little. The point is that decisions are based on results, not principle.

What It Delivers:

A public sector that does what public should do — well. And a private sector that doesn't live off public contracts, but by creating value.

Questions We Must Ask:

What are the criteria for evaluating whether a privatization worked? How do we measure quality in public services so the comparison is fair? And do we have the courage to admit when something we believed in didn't work?

Phase 5: Long-term Harvest (Years 5–10) — "Results Shape the Rest"

What We'll Do:

• Tax cuts as a result of lower costs — not as an ideological starting point.
• EU membership is negotiated with clear Norwegian interests: food security and distributed settlement.
• The agricultural model is reformed within the EU framework.
• National plan for residual work capacity is fully realized.
• Community houses as local infrastructure are established nationwide.
• Evaluate the entire plan: what worked, what didn't, what needs adjustment?

What It Delivers:

A society where the red thread is realized: people who are doing well work better, cost less, and have more freedom.

Questions We Must Ask:

Have we reduced sick leave? Has study financing increased completion and entrepreneurship? Have tax changes moved capital to value creation? Has technology actually relieved those with heavy jobs? And — being completely honest — what did we get wrong?

The Principle Behind the Sequence

We start with leadership because it's the cheapest and gives the fastest returns. We invest in people and technology because it reduces costs sustainably. We change the tax system when we have room for it. We take major structural steps when we have evidence. And we harvest the results — including lower taxes — at the end.

This plan is a proposal, not a final answer. Some measures may be delayed, some will prove not to work, and new opportunities will emerge along the way. But the sequence — fix leadership, invest in people, change structures, harvest results — we are confident in that.

The document is under development.