The Norwegian government has long tried to prepare itself for either outcome of the election in the US, a country consistently referred to as Norway’s “closest ally.” Incumbent US President Donald Trump’s claim early Wednesday that the election was subject to “fraud” and that vote-counting should be stopped, however, stunned many Members of Parliament and […]
High court hears Arctic oil appeal
November 4, 2020
A lengthy legal battle over whether Norway can continue to license oil operations in the Arctic reached the country’s highest court on Wednesday. If the court agrees that Norway has violated its own constitution by issuing licenses for oil industry activity in sensitive Arctic areas, all new oil exploration and production in the Barents Sea […]
Høie preparing stricter Corona rules
November 3, 2020
Health Minister Bent Høie confirmed on Tuesday that the government will be rolling out even stricter Corona rules later this week, aimed at halting or least slowing down Norway’s suddenly rapid rate of infection. “Now it’s serious,” Høie said at the government’s press conference on Tuesday. The decision to issue a new Corona crackdown comes […]
Famed diplomat resigns in shame
November 2, 2020
Terje Rød-Larsen has long been one of Norway’s most well-known diplomats, not least for his large global network of people in powerful positions. Now, after being publicly scolded by the former prime minister of Australia, he’s had to resign as head of the International Peace Institute (IPI) in New York for failing to inform its board […]
Uber poised for comeback in Norway
October 30, 2020
Claiming “there’s room for innovation in the Norwegian taxi market,” the Nordic chief for controversial personal transport firm Uber is gearing up for a re-entry. It coincides with further deregulation of Norway’s taxi business from November 1, via a new law that’s being met with cheers and protests. The new drosjeloven removes limits on how […]
Fish over cheese in Brexit talks
October 29, 2020
Norway’s left-leaning newspaper Dagsavisen has long supported subsidies and tariff protection for farmers in Norway, but now thinks they should let more British cheese into the country if it means Norway can sell more processed fish to the UK. The paper printed a surprising rebuke to Norway’s protectionist farm lobby in an editorial this week, […]
Equinor cleans up for its new CEO
October 29, 2020
NEWS ANALYSIS: Troubled state oil and energy company Equinor has resorted to a major clean-up of its finances, operations and even personnel before new CEO Anders Opedal officially takes over on Monday. The company has taken more huge losses on its disastrous US oil investments, reduced its oil price expectations and is soon expected to […]
Norway abolishes ‘county men’
October 28, 2020
In another attempt to promote gender neutrality, the government is abolishing the longstanding titles of the state’s representatives in regions known as fylker, or counties. From January 1, the title of fylkesmann will go out of date. It will be replaced with statsforvalter, which literally translates to “state manager.” Those holding the positions officially represent the monarch […]
Parliament makes defense demands
October 28, 2020
UPDATED: Members of the opposition in Parliament have begun presenting their own demands for changes in the government’s latest long-term defense plan. Among them: a larger military presence in Northern Norway and hundreds of new defense employees. Both the Norwegian officers’ federation (Norges Offisersforbund) and all opposition parties in Parliament have claimed that the long-term […]
Arctic oil losses report withheld
October 27, 2020
Norway’s Oil & Energy Ministry knew as early as 2013, when it was under the political control of former Oil Minister Ola Borten Moe, that already-controversial oil exploration in Norway’s Arctic could also generate huge losses. Moe’s ministry nonetheless withheld information about the potential losses from Parliament, which ultimately voted to allow Arctic oil drilling […]
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