Heidi Sørensen, former Socialist Left Party MP, dies at 56

Former Norwegian MP Heidi Sørensen has died at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer, her husband announced on Saturday, Dagbladet reports.

Sørensen, a prominent figure in Norway’s Socialist Left Party (SV), passed away overnight, her husband Torbjørn Lange confirmed in a Facebook post. “Last night, Heidi, my wife, my great love and best friend, died,” he wrote. Lange later granted Dagbladet permission to share the post.

Sørensen was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018, with the illness becoming terminal in 2022. Lange described how she faced her diagnosis with “great calm,” allowing them to live a full life despite the illness. “We have probably sensed and experienced with greater intensity during this time, knowing our time together could end quickly,” he wrote. “It was easy for us to have a very happy and exciting life with cancer.”

He recalled their daily routines—walks with their dog Diego, weekend visits to friends and family, and travels around the world—as particularly meaningful during her final years.

Sørensen served as an SV representative in the Storting (Norwegian parliament) for Oslo from 2001 to 2005 and later as a deputy MP from 2005–2007 and 2012–2013. She was also a state secretary for the party and held leadership roles in environmental organisations, including Natur og Ungdom (Nature and Youth) and the Naturvernforbundet (Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature).

Kirsti Bergstø, current SV leader, paid tribute to Sørensen’s legacy: “Heidi died far too early after a brave fight against cancer. Throughout her active life, she stood up for climate and nature—first as a youth leader, then as an MP and state secretary. She leaves a lasting mark as both a person and a politician and will be deeply missed.”

Before joining Oslo’s Climate Agency at its launch in 2017, Sørensen worked for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) from 2013 to 2016. She was also a board member of the anti-EU campaign Nei til EU in the 1990s and later led the renewable energy company Grønt Lys AS.