How did 22/7 shape the political rhetoric on immigration and integration in Norway?

In Norway, a leading promoter of peace, the attack on the 22nd of July 2011 came as a shock, not merely because of its violence, but also due to the perpetrator’s motivation. According to him, multiculturalism undermined Norway and had to be stopped. The act did not only target the direct victims, but also some of Norway’s social and political traits. An open democracy and a multicultural society were then being placed under scrutiny. This paper thus focuses on the role of the attack within the subsequent political discourse on immigration and integration in the Norwegian context, discussing how it was shaped by the 22/7 events. Through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) this paper identifies the circumstances under which the attack has been referred to (directly or indirectly), the manner in which the events have been portrayed at a political level, as well as the specific approaches of left-wing and right-wing parties and the influence of the attack on their rhetoric. The findings reveal that the event played a role in discourses regarding political, institutional or social issues. It has been portrayed as a violent attack, perpetrated by a lone, mentally ill person; who targeted innocent young people, but also as an act of terror, performed by a right-wing extremist, aimed at challenging the Norwegian state and society. While the major political parties maintained their ideological lines of discourse, the event seems to have moderated their rhetoric.