The party's election program for the 2001 parliamentary election stated that the party was a "socialist party" with a vision of a Norway without social injustice. Since its inception, the party has promoted itself as socialist. In later years, the party has been portrayed as social democratic by some in the Norwegian media, and as democratic socialists. The party has been categorised as eco-socialist. The present leader, Audun Lysbakken, has been a self-proclaimed revolutionary, socialist, and Marxist. He believes the party to be a democratic socialist one.