Rising demand for electricity and its record-high rates this winter are suddenly prompting Norwegian politicians to consider sacrificing even protected rivers and waterfalls for energy relief. On Wednesday a majority emerged in Parliament to reconsider longstanding conservation measures, and allow more production of hydroelectric power. Newspaper Klassekampen reported late last week that the Labour Party […]
Government loses its voters’ support
January 5, 2022
The first public opinion poll of the New Year shows how tens of thousands of Norwegian voters are unhappy with their government. Both the Labour and Center parties have already lost many of the voters who allowed them to form a minority government coalition last fall, and it’s now weakened considerably since the September election. […]
New Year speeches stressed solidarity
January 2, 2022
All three of the New Year speeches delivered by the monarch, the prime minister and the president of the Sami Parliament (Sametinget) during the weekend stressed a need for solidarity and empathy during the ongoing Corona crisis. They also attempted to raise hopes that 2022 has just got to be better than the last two […]
Norway boosts its northern defense
December 30, 2021
As sabre-rattling continues between Russia and NATO, Norway has been strengthening its northern defense but also engaging in joint Russian-Norwegian inspections of each other’s military hardware and personnel. The goal, according to the Norwegian military, is to build up confidence in one another, avoid misunderstandings and reduce tensions. The tensions are at their highest point […]
Tutu lost respect for Norway
December 27, 2021
As Norwegians paid their respects this week to the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died Sunday at an age of 90, they were reminded that he lost his own respect for Norway in 2014. That’s when Norwegian officials at the time didn’t want to meet with Tutu’s fellow Nobel Laureate, the Dalai Lama, for fear […]
Crisis-plagued Støre needed a holiday
December 27, 2021
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has had to face one crisis after another since being elected in September. He admitted himself just before the Christmas holiday break that dealing with them all has taken time away from his new government’s platform, which has faced plenty of political near-crises, too. “I think everyone who spends […]
Hotel workers get some holiday cheer
December 24, 2021
Some of Norway’s major hotel chains have withdrawn lay-off warnings for their workers, after the government gave in to demands for more compensation for the cost of employees’ salaries during the current Corona-related shutdown. When it was boosted to NOK 40,000 per worker per month earlier this week, hotel employers opted to retain all of […]
Tougher on China, ‘shamed’ on Assange
December 22, 2021
NEWS ANALYSIS: Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt declared on Wednesday that China has been putting “unacceptable” political pressure on Lithuania. It’s the closest Norway has come to criticizing China after a long diplomatic freeze of its own finally ended, but it comes just as Huitfeldt is also being “shamed” for not protesting the pending extradition of […]
SV secured ‘even better’ energy aid
December 17, 2021
Norway’s Labour-led minority government had to give in once again to demands from the Socialist Left Party (SV) on Friday. All three party leaders were satisfied, though, when they presented an “even better” proposal to offset record-high electricity bills. “I’m very glad that Labour, the Center Party and SV have agreed on a powerful electricity […]
Hydrogen projects also won state aid
December 17, 2021
After finally landing electricity bill relief for most Norwegians, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre could also announce state investment of more than NOK 1 billion in projects that will produce and use hydrogen as an energy source. Three major companies behind the industrial projects will use hydrogen as part of Norway’s efforts to move away […]
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