Minister tightens grip on Immigration Directorate (Aftenposten)

"When the Immigration Directorate (UDI) makes alterations to the way it practices Norway’s immigration policy, the Local Government and Regional Affairs Ministry must be notified," writes Local Government Minister Erna Solberg in a letter to the UDI. The Minister’s letter comes after a series of controversial decisions by UDI director general, Trygve G. Nordby. "The letter is part of the dialogue we are supposed to have. It is right and proper, not least because it is the Ministry’s responsibility to correct our course in relation to the legislative and regulatory framework," said Mr Nordby.

Sharp rise in number of thefts (Dagsavisen)

A number of the country’s 27 police districts have seen a substantial rise in the number of reported thefts. Some have recorded an increase of more than 30 per cent this year, according to crime figures for the first half of the year. Many police chiefs blame the recent police service reform for the rise in crime. They claim the reform, which was introduced at the start of the year, has forced police officers to participate in computer training programmes and spend more time on paperwork.

PM hints at closer collaboration with Labour (Aftenposten)

The Prime Minister is holding his options open ahead of this autumn’s budget negotiations. This could mean a deal with the Labour Party if the Progress Party proves troublesome. Alternatively, the Government could once more be forced to demand a vote of confidence from the Storting in order to drive its budget proposals through. "The opposition has mustered a parliamentary majority on a few issues. There is a limit to how often that can happen without it having an impact on the Government. So far the opposition’s activities have kept within acceptable boundaries," said Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik at a press conference yesterday to sum up the Government’s achievements since it took office after last autumn’s general election.

Police under fire for detaining demonstrators (Dagsavisen)

19 foreign citizens, among them a Danish journalist, were detained by police in the run-up to Monday’s demonstration against the World Bank, because the police believed they might commit a criminal offence. Legal experts, lawyers and politicians have accused the police of sacrificing the demonstrators’ freedom of speech on the alter of national security.

Security measures cost NOK 80 million (Aftenposten)

Hunched over their calculators, senior officers at Oslo’s police headquarters are still trying to find out the exact cost of the preparations, equipment and overtime needed to police the demonstration against the World Bank. From what Aftenposten has learned, the police’s latest estimate is close to NOK 80 million. That figure includes not only the cost of drafting in 1,200-1,300 officers from the whole of southern Norway, but also the salaries of all those who took part in the meticulous planning and investments in new equipment.

Norwegian police impress (Dagbladet)

Senior Danish police officers who visited Oslo during the World Bank conference of experts feared the worst – blood and an orgy of violence. They are now returning home to their own up-coming EU summit full of praise for the way the Norwegian police handled the affair. "We are impressed by the way the Oslo police handled the planning, the actual policing of the demonstration and the dialogue with the demonstrators. It is not our job to hand out grades to the Oslo police, but we are impressed," said the senior Danish police officers.

Promise of paternity leave (Aftenposten)

Dads should play a more active role in looking after their children. That is why the parliamentary leaders of the ruling Conservative, Christian Democratic and Liberal parties have promised to extend today’s parental leave quota by several weeks, for fathers only. The promise was made in a letter to Ingunn Yssen, head of the Norwegian Centre for Gender Equality. "We plan to increase the amount of leave fathers can take in connection with the birth of their children, but not at the expense of mothers. That is why we want to extend the entire parental leave scheme over a period of time," said Oddvar Nilsen, leader of the Conservative Party’s parliamentary group.

Council workers unconvinced about performance-based pay (Aftenposten)

A number of the largest local government unions have expressed their doubts about the introduction of performance-based pay. How do you measure care, how do you define quality and what is efficiency when it comes to looking after elderly people. Margrethe Mortensen, chief negotiator for the Norwegian Union of Municipal Employees, says she was unaware that the Norwegian Association of Local Authorities Norwegian Association of Local Authorities (KS) was planning to set up a pilot scheme to link local government workers’ pay to performance targets.

Worth Noting

1. Moderation – that is Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik’s recipe for preventing unemployment. Nevertheless, his own government is spending more than any other Norwegian government before it. "The Government is trying to combine the Conservatives’ irresponsible promises of tax cuts, with the Christian Democrats’ pledges on public spending. It will not work," said Labour leader Jens Stoltenberg. (Dagsavisen)
2. A strong Norwegian krone, combined with falling oil prices has resulted in lower than expected returns from the Government Petroleum Fund. But the government has already spent the revenues which have now not materialized. This could lead to increases in direct and indirect taxes, warns Hermod Skånland, former Governor of the Norwegian Central Bank. (Dagbladet)
3. So far this year free contraceptive pills worth NOK 3.8 million have been handed out to girls between the ages of 16 and 20. The Storting decided last year that teenage girls would no longer have to pay for contraceptive pills. The aim was to reduce the number of abortions among girls in this age group. (Dagsavisen)
4. Church ministers will receive average wage rises of NOK 36,400 this year, while bishops can look forward to putting over NOK 70,000 more in their pockets. This year’s pay settlement for church ministers is the best ever. (Vårt Land)
5. The country’s life insurance companies have lost billions of kroner this year. So far in the second quarter they have lost NOK 12 billion due to falling stock market prices. (Dagens Næringsliv)

Today’s comment from Dagbladet

The policing of previous demonstrations against globalization has, to put it mildly, been clumsy. Norwegian police can therefore look back with pride on their own efforts to prevent street fighting and vandalism in Oslo during the World Bank’s conference on development, which draws to a close today. By signalling firmness, but exercising restraint the Norwegian police have made a decisive contribution to maintaining a peaceful atmosphere during the demonstrations and keeping the destruction of property to a minimum. We do not intend to claim this was due to inherent Norwegian superiority, but the strategy should be of interest to others. Oslo was probably spared the arrival of the worst trouble makers and those with an obviously criminal intent. But the police’s softly-softly approach was nevertheless an important factor in keeping the whole thing on an even keel. There is a lesson here for others facing a similar situation.