Government tightens au pair rules
January 6, 2012
Norway has more long-term visitors on au pair contracts than ever before, and now the government is cracking down on abuse of the program, in an effort to prevent it from simply providing inexpensive domestic help to local households. The crackdown has been expected for the past two years, after concerns rose that young persons [...]
Stoltenberg blocks EØS alternatives
December 22, 2011
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed his government won’t launch any studies of alternatives to Norway’s main trade agreement with the EU, known in Norway as the “EØS-avtale.” That should hush up his government partner who’s been complaining about the EØS pact, at least for now. Liv Signe Navarsete, leader of the small Center Party [...]
Jens more popular than ever
December 21, 2011
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg could head into the Christmas holiday weekend with strong support from his fellow Norwegians. He wound up on the front page of local newspapers on Wednesday for his high standing among voters, while his Labour Party has solid support as well. Stoltenberg was given a perfect score of six by newspaper [...]
Støre unsure about four more years
December 7, 2011
The next national elections are still two years away, but many politicians are already pondering their futures after the fall of 2013. Norway’s highly respected Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre hasn’t committed himself, though, to another four years. His good friend and colleague, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, recently made it clear he’s ready for four [...]
Norwegians lining up for food
November 28, 2011
Lines at soup kitchens aren’t just occurring in crisis-struck countries in southern Europe. Some people are waiting more than four hours for food handouts in Oslo as well, when their cash doesn’t last through the month. Unemployment remains low in Norway but those out of work are finding it harder to find jobs. Unemployment benefits [...]
Fewer immigrants arrive in Norway
November 23, 2011
As the economy shows signs of slowing down in Norway, fewer immigrants from eastern Europe are arriving in the country looking for work. More are still coming from southern Europe, but many find it hard to find a job despite Norway’s low unemployment rate. Newspaper Dagsvisen reported on Wednesday how Theo Nikolaidis from Greece has [...]
Top lawyer to join Nobel Committee
November 10, 2011
Norway’s Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) is partially following its own advice to revamp the membership of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, by naming Berit Reiss-Andersen to one of its allotted committee positions. In doing so, the party is reaching outside the ranks of its own top political leadership, following debate over the committee’s independence. Newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) [...]
Labour Party membership soars
November 1, 2011
The bomber and gunman who attacked Norway’s Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) and the government it leads last summer wanted to cripple the party but the opposite has occurred. Labour is instead more vigorous and popular than ever, with new figures showing membership up 40 percent so far this year in Oslo alone. Newspaper Dagsavisen reported Tuesday [...]
Fortune tax stirs up new storm
October 5, 2011
Norwegian labour union boss Roar Flåthen is normally a great ally of Norway’s Labour-led government but now even he has spoken out against one of the country’s most unique and controversial taxes, on individual fortunes. The government is resisting Flåthen’s initiative, mostly for fear of losing the revenues it brings. Every year, in addition to [...]
Plans abound to ‘take back’ Utøya
August 22, 2011
Survivors of last month’s massacre on the island of Utøya, along with a wide array of supporters, are determined to “take back” the island and “make it even better” than it was before a lone gunman killed 69 people there on July 22, 55 of whom were teenagers. Millions are flowing into a fund to [...]
Gunman returns to his crime scene
August 14, 2011
UPDATED: Bomber and gunman Anders Behring Breivik was taken back over the weekend to the island where he terrorized hundreds of Labour Party summer campers last month, shooting and killing 69 persons before his massacre ended. This time Breivik was under heavy police escort, as they attempted to reconstruct the crime scene as part of [...]
July 22 attacks commission appointed
August 12, 2011
Members of the independent commission to review the July 22nd terrorist attacks were named on Friday by Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. The commission will be led by Alexandra Bech Gjørv, who is a partner in the law firm Hjort, deputy chair of the board of Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) and a director of Norske Skog, [...]
Flowers taken in as dead laid to rest
August 5, 2011
Local officials in Oslo and many other cities and towns around Norway have begun the work of gathering in flowers and other items left at places to remember the victims of the Oslo and Utøya terrorist attacks. This week has seen the funerals for many of those who died, with those buried thus far listed [...]
Utøya cleared as volunteerism grows
August 2, 2011
Police have begun clearing items left behind on Utøya island, the scene of a mass shooting on Friday July 22 that has killed 69 people so far. Ordinary Norwegians continue to show a willingness to volunteer in a variety of organizations in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that rocked the nation. Representatives of the [...]
Day of mourning to be held Aug 21
August 1, 2011
Norwegian politicians from all parties have gathered in parliament to remember the victims of the Oslo bombing and Utøya shootings – during which Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that a national day of mourning will take place on Sunday August 21. Stoltenberg spoke after the parliament’s president, Dag Terje Andersen, had listed the names of [...]
