3 April 2003

We are not neutral, says Defence Minister (Nationen)

Defence Minister Kristin Krohn Devold has made it clear that Norway is not a neutral country in relation to the war in Iraq. “Our cooperation with the USA is extensive. Any disagreement over Iraq does not change that fact,” she said. Asked why, when we are neutral, Norway is passing intelligence information to one of the warring sides, Ms Krohn Devold replied: “We are not neutral. We do not support the war because the UN Security Council did not pass a second resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, and we believe it is wrong to go to war without a second Security Council resolution.” Explaining what she meant by Norway not being neutral, she said: “Exactly the same as Prime Minister Bondevik has said – it would be madness to hope that Saddam Hussein wins the war.”

Norwegian broadcaster NRK’s edited version of an interview with Mullah Krekar played an important role in the District Court’s decision to remand him in custody. Just hours before the Borgarting Court of Appeal was due to hear Mullah Krekar’s appeal, the judges were shown the original interview aired on Dutch television – and released him. In their ruling ordering Mullah Krekar’s release, the appeal court judges criticized NRK for the way it edited the interview Krekar gave to the Dutch television company Netwerk. When it originally remanded Krekar in custody, the District Court referred to the item shown on NRK’s late evening news bulletin, in which Krekar apparently said that he had young men with him who were willing to blow themselves up in the battle against the USA. The District Court was not shown the interview as it appeared on Dutch TV. The Borgarting Court of Appeal, however, was able to see the Dutch version. Krekar was released from prison yesterday evening. Local Government and Regional Affairs Minister Erna Solberg has announced that the execution of the deportation order against Mullah Krekar has been postponed for two months.

Local autonomy and less earmarking of central government funding will be a main theme in this autumn’s local election campaigns, if we are to believe the parties’ campaign slogans and political manifestos. But no one is talking about the EU just at the moment. The parties are focusing on familiar issues. The Conservatives are continuing to push for “better schools” and increased efficiency. Labour wants more healthcare and social services. The Progress Party emphasizes the integration of immigrant minorities. The Christian Democrats want “a warmer society based on Christian values”, while the Socialist Left Party’s key issues focus on the welfare state, including children and young people, education and local government funding.

According to former Labour leader Thorbjørn Jagland, Norway should hold a referendum on EU membership as quickly as possible after the 2005 general election. He believes it will be impossible to win the battle against unemployment and for Norwegian industry without joining the EU. Mr Jagland claimed that a pro-EU majority in the Storting could make a new application to join very quickly, and that negotiations do not have to take that long. “Almost everything has been negotiated already. There are not many outstanding items to clear up,” he said.

Last week Den Danske Bank’s chief executive Peter Straarup invited Gjensidige Nor’s chairman Bjørn Sund to participate in talks about a possible merger between the two companies. Mr Straarup was apparently willing to pay NOK 255 per share, around NOK 40 more than Den norske Bank (DnB). “What we offered was better than the deal currently on the table. Shareholders would also have been given more freedom to choose between cash and shares with regard to the form of settlement. Our intention was that the Savings Bank Foundation would continue as a shareholder,” said Mr Straarup. Gjensidige Nor’s chairman Bjørn Sund has confirmed that the talks did take place. However, he said that he did not feel there was any point to further negotiations. “We are very happy with DnB, and still feel that a merger with them gives shareholders the greatest value added over time,” he said.

The Socialist Left Party wants to negotiate with both the Government and the Labour Party over the proposed relocation of eight central government agencies. Following a lengthy meeting of its MPs on Wednesday, the Socialist Left Party’s representatives on the Storting’s Family, Cultural and Administrative Affairs Committee were given the authority to start such negotiations. “Opinions were divided, but the Socialist Left Party has a conference resolution in favour of moving central government agencies out of the southeastern region,” said the Committee’s deputy chairwoman, May Hansen.
(Nationen)




The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), the Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS) and the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) reached agreement in record time last night on this year’s wage settlement for 100,000 employees. Norway therefore avoided a bus and ferry strike from today. Most employees will receive a 0.5 per cent pay rise.
(Verdens Gang)




Statistics Norway thinks the crisis in the engineering industry will push unemployment to 5 per cent for years to come. The national statistics bureau is predicting that unemployment will have risen by some 15,000 by the end of this year, and will remain at around 115,000 for several years.
(Aftenposten)




Christian Democratic Party chairwoman Valgerd Svarstad Haugland has become the first government minister to admit that the tax cuts promised in the ruling coalition’s inaugural declaration are unlikely to be fulfilled. Local government funding was a higher priority, she warned.
(Dagsavisen)

It must be frustrating to be a Labour politician nowadays. Even times of economic and political uncertainty are not frightening the voters back into the Labour fold, as they have traditionally done. Not even a weak minority coalition government has given Labour any gains in opposition. On the other hand, the Socialist Left Party – Labour’s little brother – is breathing heavily down the party’s neck, and has even overtaken it in the opinion polls. Perhaps then it is not so strange that Labour’s party secretary Martin Kolberg should have vented his frustration at a branch meeting recently. He did so to such an extent that he had to issue a press release afterwards to make plain that he had not meant to compare the current centre-right government with the German occupation power when he said it represented the biggest swing to the right since the second world war. We never thought he did. Mr Kolberg was probably trying, once again, to remind his audience who it was who build this country – an edifice he believes the Bondevik-led coalition government is in the process of tearing down with its Norwegian version of Thatcherism. Labour is good at attacking the Government, but bad at defending its own policies. No one is better able to demolish Progress Party chairman Carl I. Hagen’s arguments than Labour leader Jens Stoltenberg. But the party’s poor showing in the polls indicates that the Labour leadership should spend more time building up its own arguments.

European Cup qualifying match: Luxembourg 0 – 2 Norway. Goals scored by Sigurd Rushfeldt and Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Norway leads its group by 3 points.