Erling Folkvord

Erling Folkvord
Erling Folkvord in 2009
Member of the Norwegian Parliament for Oslo
In office 14 September 1993 – 14 September 1997
Member of the Oslo City Council
In office 10 September 1999[1] – 2011[2]
In office 10 September 1983 – 10 September 1993[3]
Personal details
Born	(1949-06-15)15 June 1949[3] Levanger, Norway[3]
Died	1 March 2024(2024-03-01) (aged 74) Stockholm, Sweden[2]
Political party	Red Party
Other political affiliations	Red Electoral Alliance Workers' Communist Party
Relations	Magnhild Folkvord (sister)
Children	Jorunn Folkvord (daughter)
Residence(s)	Oslo, Norway[3]
Alma mater	Examen artium
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Social Worker[3]

Erling Folkvord (15 June 1949 – 1 March 2024) was a Norwegian politician for the Red Party and a member of the Parliament of Norway. A revolutionary socialist, he was one of the leading members of the Workers' Communist Party and the Red Electoral Alliance before they merged to form Red. He sat as a member of the Parliament of Norway from 1993 to 1997, becoming the first socialist to the left of the Socialist Left Party and the Labour Party in parliament since 1961. He later lost his position in 1997 and was a candidate for parliament until his death. He was a member of the Oslo City Council from 1983 to 1993, and again from 1999 to 2011. Folkvord became one of the best-known Norwegian politicians on the left who was not connected with the Labour Party and the Socialist Left Party.

In the early part of his political career, Folkvord was a member of the Red Electoral Alliance. Known for working on several corruption cases earned him the nickname the "watch dog". Folkvord's political views turned to communism and anti-capitalism when he became a member of the Workers' Communist Party. From 1990 to 1997, he was Deputy Leader of the Workers' Communist Party, and in 2001 he became Deputy Leader of the Red Electoral Alliance alongside Chris Hartmann.