Abstract
The chapter discusses the case of Erna Solberg in search of the characteristics of contemporary female leadership. Four aspects in particular are highlighted: the way in which Solberg refers to the concept of dugnad (translatable as “collective commitment”) in order to ask citizens to show solidarity and a sense of community through compliance with the rules of confinement; the desire to contribute to the strengthening of dialogue and collaboration between the different institutions that make up democracy, and the reference to a welfare of excellence as proof of democratic stability; the adoption of an empathetic communicative style, expressed above all in the ability to speak to different segments of the population, including children; finally, the ability to build a fruitful dialogue with scientific experts, in a continuous exchange of legitimacy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are part of the so-called ‘Nordic model’, which includes high levels of systemic trust, strong social policies, and excellent performance in economic terms. Interestingly, starting from similar backgrounds, the three countries have implemented very different Covid-19 management policies (Ihlen et al., 2023). In particular, in the case of Norway, the Sovereign Wealth Fund from the sale of oil guaranteed subsidies for workers and companies.
References
Christensen, T., & Lægreid, P. (2020). The coronavirus crisis—Crisis communication, meaning-making, and reputation management. International Public Management Journal, 23(5), 713–729. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2020.1812455
Ihlen, Ø., Johansson, B., & Blach-Ørsten, M. (2023). Experiencing the Covid-19 in Denmark, Norway and Sweden: The role of the Nordic model. In R. Tench, J. Meng, & A. Moreno (Eds.), Strategic communication in a global crisis: National and international responses to the Covid-19 pandemic (pp. 184–198). Routledge.
Kalsnes, B., & Skogerbø, E. (2021). Norway: From strict measures to pragmatic flexibility. In D. Lilleker, I. A. Coman, M. Gregor, & E. Novelli (Eds.), Political communication and COVID-19: Governance and rhetoric in times of crisis (pp. 231–238). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003120254-22
Simon, C., & Mobekk, H. (2019). Dugnad: A fact and a narrative of Norwegian prosocial behavior. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 42, 815–834. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-019-00227-w
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Saccà, F., Selva, D. (2023). Erna Solberg’s Approach to the Pandemic. In: European Political Leaders and the Social Representation of the Covid-19 Crisis . Palgrave Studies in European Political Sociology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38380-9_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38380-9_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-38379-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-38380-9
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)