New Year Speech 2025

Checked against delivery
Translated from Norwegian

One summer day, nearly 200 years ago, roughly 50 Norwegians – most of them young adults – boarded a small sloop at the quay in Stavanger. They were embarking on a dangerous, three-month sea crossing over the Atlantic to New York. Imagine taking the decision they took to leave home, and what they must have been feeling.

They were the very first group of Norwegian emigrants. Over the course of three generations, more than 800 000 Norwegians left behind their villages and towns looking for work, land to farm, and a better life in North America.

While the vessel was at sea, a little girl was born on board and given the name Margaret.

There is no greater miracle than a new life entering the world. As each new child takes its first look at the world, at its parents, we see expectation and trust in their eyes.

Little Margaret’s mother, Martha, and father, Lars, had no idea what kind of life awaited their new daughter. Just as we have no idea what this year’s New Year’s babies will encounter in their lives. But unlike Martha and Lars, we know that there will be opportunities for them here, in our country.

No matter what kind of background you have, and no matter what you want out of life, everyone growing up in Norway today should be able to pursue their dreams and shape their own lives.

Because there is nothing more important – to me as Prime Minister, and as a father and grandfather – than knowing that our young people feel safe and secure, and have hope for the future.

Children and young people 

This is why I am so pleased that nine of ten children and young people stated in their responses to a recent survey that their lives are good. That they have a good relationship with their parents, their schools and the communities where they live. More young people than ever before are taking part in sports activities during their free time. This survey also showed that fewer young people feel lonely now than in recent years – and that is very uplifting news.

But we also know that there are children and young people who are experiencing more difficulties and turmoil.  

Some are growing up in situations of domestic violence, with a lack of security and care, and none of the guidance the adults should be providing. Others are struggling – with their own vulnerabilities, with school, and with an increasingly unpredictable world.

I have met and read about many young people who feel pressure to look the best, be at the top of their class, exercise the most, and have the most friends. Many measure their lives against those of others who are leading completely different lives in completely different contexts.

I think that indiscriminate use of social media prompts us to take an overly critical view of ourselves.

Let me make it very clear to all of the young people in Norway this evening: You do not need to change the way you look or let apps take over and rule your life. You are good enough as you are!

Thriving at school 

Virtually no one succeeds in everything, but everyone can succeed in something – not least at school. And everyone has the right to thrive at school – also those who have disabilities.

The conversations I have had with some of you who are having difficulties at school keep coming back to me. About being bullied. About not having any close friends. About not receiving the learning you need – and about encountering obstacles on your path into working life.

Many of you are boys. It used to be that gender equality issues mostly affected the girls. But today, I am convinced that the challenge is at least as great for boys who have trouble fitting in at school. We need to ensure that boys and girls alike can flourish in our schools.

Because the greatest potential resource for our country does not lie under the seabed of the North Sea – nor is it in the savings amassed in Norway’s sovereign wealth fund. As the dedicated teacher, Olav Storstein, wrote more than 90 years ago: ‘Our future is sitting behind a desk at school’. And I believe this is still the case.

School is where we become educated as a people – and formed as a nation. It is intended to be an environment that can accommodate all our children and adolescents and at the same time view each one as a unique individual.

To achieve this, our teachers must be in charge of the classroom. Pupils must be allowed to be more physically active – and have the chance to learn more both with their heads and their hands.

Today, we are taking steps to bring printed textbooks, and other hands-on tools and necessary materials back to the classroom. And when something comes in, something else has to go out: mobile phones.

Most schools have now become a mobile-phone-free environment. We achieved this together with pupils, teachers and parents last year. Here, we can all be good role models by taking out our earbuds, by putting away our devices. And let me just say that this applies to all of us adults – to me as well. We all have to make an effort.   

This year, we will be raising the minimum age for use of social media, and we are working to move the traditional graduating class celebrations to the period after exams and to create a more inclusive framework for marking the completion of upper secondary education. 

It is our interaction with others that shapes us as people. We must do more to meet each other at eye level.

We need to look at and truly see each other, so we can better acknowledge and understand each other. So that we can further strengthen our fellowship.

Maintaining our sense of community requires sustained effort. We must all take responsibility for others, not just ourselves.

Improving prospects for young people 

That is why we teach our young people not just to be there for each other, but also not to be afraid to make demands on one another. And perhaps the best arena for this – in practice – is the workplace.

In Vadsø, I met Victoria, aged 25, who had found a job in the local shop. This was Finnmark, so it was dark, it was snowing and there was a cold wind blowing – but inside the shop the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Victoria’s eyes filled with tears – as did mine – when she described what she had experienced in Ukraine and the bombing she had fled from. But she also spoke about how safe she felt and how happy she was to have found her place in Finnmark and in the shop.

Manager Tonny’s basic principle is this: ‘I want them to feel good both when they arrive at work, and when they go home after the work day is finished.’

More people need to follow Tonny’s example, both in relation to Ukrainians, and in relation to the more than 100 000 people under the age of 30 who do not have jobs and are not pursuing an education. The situation is difficult for each and every one of them – and for the nursing homes, factories and labour market that we know need more staff as well.

The next major initiative we will undertake together in Norway is to improve the lives and prospects of our young people.

We are going to reverse the trend in schools – promote more learning, reduce screen use – and we will get thousands of young adults back into educational programmes and working life over the next years.

I am encouraged, touched and inspired when I meet some of you who have already taken this step, which is often very challenging:

In Florø I met Sander, who had been unemployed since completing his education. He has now been given a job at the Westcon Yards shipyard. ‘We have made demands under way, and he has gone far out of his comfort zone and really pushed his envelope. And together we have achieved our goals. All kudos to Sander,’ his boss told me.

On behalf of the Government, I would like to invite all employers to participate in this collective initiative to help our young people this year. Make use of the support schemes that are available – such as from the experienced staff at the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) – and give people a new chance.

Because I believe – in fact, I know – that everyone living in Norway has talents and energy that we can use to make our country better. And I am convinced that being part of the work force enhances self-confidence, brings new strength and gives hope.

World marked by conflict 

And hope is what we really need right now. All of us in my generation must be honest and admit that young people today are living in a period marked by far greater conflict than we have seen in a very long time.

My children were born in the time when the Berlin Wall fell and the Cold War was fading. But now there are video clips from drones on the front lines flitting across our screens every single day.

Walls are no longer being torn down – new ones are being raised. Countries are not seeking disarmament – we are increasing our stockpiles.

Young people today are witnessing dark days of war – and seeing a level of suffering that we did not think was possible – in Ukraine, in the Middle East, in Sudan.

Sometimes it is almost tempting to ask, as Karpe does in one of their songs: ‘Are you still breathing?’

What upsets me most is when conflict inflicts suffering on children and young people, which is precisely what is happening now. As Norwegian author Marte Heian-Engdal writes in her book A Gaza Life: ‘You need only think of a single child you know, to understand that each one of them is precious.’

It is distressing that the nuclear powers are failing to find a path towards controlled disarmament.

It is frustrating that powerful countries cannot reach agreement on what is most fundamental to people’s lives, to the life of every nation: peace, freedom and security.

The war in Ukraine could quickly be resolved if Russia ceased its brutal, illegal attacks.

This year, as we all ­– young and old alike – celebrate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Norway, I promise that we will do everything in our power to bring an end to war and ensure that innocent people are protected.

And I promise to do everything I can to ensure that Norway is a safe country to grow up in, even when the world at large is becoming increasingly unsafe.

We are providing substantial support to Ukraine, both military and civilian assistance, and we will continue to help the country withstand Russia’s ongoing assault.

Here at home, all branches of the Norwegian Armed Forces are now being strengthened in order to safeguard our security, together with our close Allies in NATO. This has the support of all the parties in the Storting.

And in Norwegian households across the country, families are storing extra supplies of water, canned goods, batteries and other things needed to enhance our own self-preparedness.

Trust 

But our most effective form of protection, our greatest resource, is the trust between us – our confidence and trust in one another here in Norway.

We see that hardened fronts elsewhere in the world can easily fuel increasing divisions here at home, in our streets and on social media.

In a democracy there must be room for different opinions. We must all be able to tolerate disagreeing with one another without this turning us into enemies.

The wars in the Middle East are a cause of deep concern to many people in Norway, especially those of you who have family, friends and colleagues in the region. But we must avoid replicating these hardened fronts here in Norway. It must be safe for a young Jewish person to go to school or a young Muslim person to go to the gym.

It is the warring parties themselves who are responsible for their actions.

What we here at home are responsible for are our attitudes, and the way we treat each other.

Everyone must be able to say what they think, and everyone must be able to wear a cross, a Star of David, a hijab, traditional Sámi clothing, or a pride symbol.

It is essential that we Norwegians work to maintain the values that have made our country unique, even as this ‘we’ has grown broader – embracing newcomers, new cultures and multiple religions. As the author Frode Grytten writes so aptly: ‘a we is so much more than an I’.

Commitment 

It is in this light I want to commend our young people for their tireless commitment and engagement.

For their fight against injustice and climate change, and to protect the environment and promote sustainability. On the global stage but also at the local level – when you stand up for your school, youth club, sports team – for your local community, and all of you who are so clearly setting the agenda for safeguarding Sámi rights.

Especially now, at a time when we are inundated with fake news, with algorithms creating echo chambers and when anti-democratic forces are on the rise in other countries.

In particular, I would like to commend those who exercise their right to vote and who speak out when opinions are being pitted against one another. In elections, which we will be holding this year, in debates, in political parties and organisations, and in other places where people come together.

Thank you for investing in something larger than yourselves. Because together we are more than each of us on our own. And together we know that change is possible.

2000 to 2025: A changing world 

Today, it is 25 years since we entered the new millennium. Of course, the arrival of the new millennium does not mean that much to many young people today. But when we look back at the year 2000, what we see is that a great deal has changed.

In 2000, Europe had regained its harmony after the wars in the Balkans – and they were brutal. Many refugees came to Norway. Today we know that most of those who came here became well integrated into our country. And we know that it is possible to restore peace in Europe.

In 2000, young researchers were sitting behind their screens and drafting tables, calculating parameters for and conducting tests of new green technology, which to many seemed more in the realm of science fiction than science. But today, renewable solutions are the new normal.

And in 2000, interest rates were even higher than they are now. But interest rates went down then, and the same thing will also happen now. Last year, for the first time in several years, wage growth exceeded the level of inflation in Norway. And Norges Bank is anticipating a cut in interest rates this year. We have reached a turning point in the economy. People’s financial situation will improve.

Across the generations  

I would like to return for a moment to what I started with: the sloop carrying the emigrants across the Atlantic, and little Margaret who was born on board. Margaret lived a long life in the US, dying at the ripe old age of 91. That was very unusual at the time.

But today, it is hardly unusual at all. Life expectancy in Norway is increasing by one year every five years – think about that for a moment.

Our increasing longevity may be the clearest illustration of how well Norwegian society, the Norwegian welfare state, is working; how good it is both to grow up in and to grow old in Norway.

One of the things warms my heart most is the solidarity I see spanning the generations between grandparents and grandchildren. Young people who want to ensure that their grandparents are secure in twilight years. And we grandparents, who acknowledge our responsibility and promise to do everything in our power to enable Norway to reach its climate targets.

It is in the meeting between the generations, where we stand together across time, experience and views, that we find Norway at its very best.

Thank you 

I would like to close by sending a heartfelt thank you, on behalf of all of us, to Their Majesties The King and Queen and the entire Royal Family for their tireless efforts for our country and for us – during a year that has been especially challenging.

And a sincere thank you to all Norwegians abroad – students, researchers, people working in the maritime sector and other industries, Armed Forces personnel, humanitarian workers, and Foreign Service employees.

And I would like to extend a special thank you to those of you who have been at work during this holiday break – and who are working at this very moment – and to everyone who contributes to the voluntary sector throughout the country.

To everyone in Norway, I wish you a very Happy New Year!