Newly re-elected Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre landed in a heap of trouble, just days after his minority Labour government launched its state budget proposal for 2026. He already needed to negotiate a budget agreement with four other parties, but then he was also accused of making false campaign promises and even lying to voters. Now he’s making amends.
“No one has really lied here,” Støre told reporters on Monday, blaming instead “poor communication” over two issues that may seem minor to many: Maintaining free ferries along Norway’s west coast and whether Norwegians who move to outlying areas can avoid repaying student loans.
That may not seem so important at a time, for example, when Norway needs to prioritize major defense spending and get used to less money pouring in from offshore oil fields. Free ferries and being excused from student loan payments are, however, very important to Norwegians who relied on both, as is the premise that top politicians must follow through on promises.
The trouble began just before the September election, when Støre told local newspaper Øyposten (The Island Post) that the ferries its readers travel on would remain free to use. The ferry funding had been pushed through by his former government partner, the Center Party, which is always keen to appease people living in outlying areas around Norway.
When his Labour government’s proposed state budget was released in Parliament last week, though, the NOK 255 million needed to fund free ferries wasn’t in it, nor was NOK 863 million needed to excuse student loan repayments for those living in rural areas. That money had been shifted to other budget posts.
“The state budget has incredibly many posts, and many of them were handled very quickly,” Støre told reporters. “This is a case of poor communication … and I’m open to finding a solution” for the budget omissions. He said he and other ministers had simply “made a mistake” in not allocating the money for free ferries, which ironically enough had also been criticized by residents along the Helgelands coast because they’re now often filled up by tourists and motor homes.
As demands rose for an apology from Støre and his health minister, Jan Christian Vestre, since both had warned voters that such programs could disappear if the conservative parties won the election, they did express regrets and promise to “clean up” the budget uncertainty. “This is a mistake that we are both very sorry about,” Støre said on Monday. He also issued a much-demanded apology over the mistake.
He wouldn’t specify, however, exactly how they’d “clean up,” and wasn’t willing to immediately commit to restoring the funds needed, since that would require budget cuts somewhere else. Leaders of the other parties on which Labour relies for support weren’t impressed, with Center Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum claiming neither budget post was up for renegotiation. He wouldn’t even launch negotiations on the rest of the state budget until the money for the ferries and excused student loans was restored.
SV leader Kirsti Bergstø, another key politician on whom Støre must rely for support, went on to state that if Vedum’s preferred posts are renegotiated, she also wanted an immediate increase in child welfare payments. Støre was still refusing to make any changes in any actual budget posts before formal budget negotiations get underway.
Late Tuesday afternoon, however, Støre and his party gave in, promising money for free ferries and covering student debt for those in rural areas. Tuva Moflag, Labour’s finance policy spokesperson and leader of the Parliament’s finance committee, acknowledged that “we promised something that wasn’t followed up … we’re taking that seriously.”
The entire issue made this year’s budget negotiations even more difficult than they already were. Støre was already facing difficult demands from not only Center and SV but also the Reds and Greens parties, both of which have pet projects of their own. Even many of Støre’s and Vestre’s own party colleagues, especially a the local mayoral level, were upset with them: The mayor of Høyanger, Petter Sortland, told newspaper Dagsavisen that “it’s not okay to mislead people,” while some accused Støre and Vestre of a bluff. Opposition party leaders were making the most of it, suggesting that Labour Party leaders were losing their credibility.
“Who can rely on them now?” questioned political commentator Kjetil B Alstadheim in newspaper Aftenposten. Støre, who had cherished his re-election victory last month, said during an early Tuesday morning appearance on the popular NRK talk show Politisk kvarter that he would “clean this up quickly” and that his party “stands together on this.” Other parties claimed to now be ready for budget negotiations in general, but predicted they would be difficult.
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
