The Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Oslo Press Division

Norway Daily No. 75/00

Date: 14 April 2000

LABOUR SURGES IN OPINION POLLS (Aftenposten)

Labour has taken an 8 point jump in Aftenposten’s April poll. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg may note a 38.1 per cent rating for his party—10 per cent higher than its performance in the last local elections. Progress, the Conservatives and the Liberals all dropped sharply. The Conservative Party is down eight points since February and Progress is down six points. Both are now at around a 13 per cent rating.

STORTING CREATES NORWEGIAN FORCE FOR INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS (NTB)

The Storting voted yesterday to form a special force for international operations, consisting of 3500 troops from all defence branches. Based on the size of the country, the Norwegian force is large compared with those of other countries. If the EU were to field a similar force based on population figures, it would be close to 300,000 strong.

INTEREST RATE HIKE DISTURBS LABOUR SETTLEMENT (Dagens Næringsliv)

The recent interest rate increase ordered by central bank Governor Svein Gjedrem has angered Senior economist Stein Reegård of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), who views it as a provocation. Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) leaders Karl Nysterud and Leif Frode Onarheim are also irked by the announcement of an interest rate hike right before a settlement is to be put to a ballot referendum. Mr. Gjedrem could have waited until after the labour settlement was concluded, says TBL chief Karl Nysterud.

HAGA CALLS FOR CHANGE IN CASH BENEFITS SCHEME (Nationen)

Centre Party deputy chairman Åslaug Haga calls for an amendment to the controversial cash benefits scheme, insisting that only parents who stay home with their children should qualify. Ms. Haga would reallocate the funds thus freed towards measures targeting children and teenagers. This puts the Centre Party on a collision course with the Christian Democrats and the Conservatives, who wish to keep the system as it is. If the Centre Party takes a firm stand on this view, the entire cash benefits scheme could come to an end after the 2001 general election.

BONDEVIK PRESENTS POLITICAL TALLY (Vårt Land)

Kjell Magne Bondevik has 229 good reasons why a centrist coalition Government would be best for Norway, but as a minority, it must have more support in order to get back into a government position. At a press conference yesterday, Mr. Bondevik presented the record of his Government during its two-and-a-half years in office in a 229-point outline of everything accomplished since the Voksenåsen conference. This political scorecard refutes all allegations that the coalition Government was a mere showpiece, said Mr. Bondevik.

JAGLAND CAMPAIGNING FOR VOLLEBÆK (Verdens Gang)

If things work out, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Knut Vollebæk will be the next UN High Commissioner for Refugees. This office will be vacant from the turn of the year, when Sadako Ogata (73) steps down. Foreign Minister Thorbjørn Jagland confirms to Verdens Gang that he is trying to garner support for Norway’s candidate–his own predecessor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We have conducted exploratory talks to find out whether there is any widespread support for Mr. Vollebæk, but we have not been discussing candidacy at this point. It would do no good to make a formal announcement of his candidacy without determining beforehand that he enjoys broad support, says Mr. Jagland to Verdens Gang.

GOVERNMENT TO SEND KOSOVARS HOME (Aftenposten)

The Government’s decision to repatriate all of the 4,000-5,000 Kosovars still in Norway by the end of summer has provoked an angry outcry. The government will give free air transport and NOK 15,000 to all who return to Kosovo. Senior information officer Erling Hansen of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development says the Government has no reason to extend the one-year residence permit extended to this group of refugees. Those not granted political asylum or extensions on humanitarian grounds must return home, as most refugees in other European countries have already done. The collective residency will not be extended, says Mr. Hansen.

WORTH NOTING

• Emergency rations from Norway have twice been found aboard North Korean espionage submarines captured in South Korea. These rations were part of a relief package intended for children in hospitals and other victims of famine, but there are now strong indication that the goods went to the armed forces instead. (Aftenposten)
• The Conservative Party’s elections committee has decided unanimously to nominate Jan Petersen for re-election as party chairman. Mr. Petersen will use this declaration of confidence to resume the fight against the political centre. The elections committee has also re-nominated both deputy chairmen, Inge Lønning and Søgne-mayor Anne Berit Andersen. (Dagsavisen)
• Several sources have confirmed for Verdens Gang that the Conservative Party’s elections committee has urged Johan G. Bernander in private to accept candidacy for party chairman in 2002. (Verdens Gang)
• Only nine per cent of men charged with sexually abusing children under ten years of age are convicted. 80 per cent of the cases are dropped, according to a study carried out by former public prosecutor Åse Texmo in the three northernmost counties. Ms. Texmo is highly critical of the way police handle cases involving the sexual abuse of children, and says the situation is the same all over the country. (Dagsavisen)

TODAY’S COMMENT from Dagens Næringsliv

According to Kjell Magne Bondevik, a centrist Government is the only realistic alternative to Labour, but he has not taken all the facts into consideration. Realistically, he would have to have the support of the Conservatives as well, but that is something chairman Jan Petersen is not prepared to give. The Conservatives want a broad non-socialist coalition, but this is something the centrist parties are not interested in. Moreover, next year’s general election may alter the political landscape substantially, with the Liberals falling under the threshold for a seat in the Storting. It is entirely possible that the parliamentary outcome may leave the Labour Government as the only viable alternative. The cause of this awkward situation is the EU membership issue. Until such time as Norway joins the EU, the Centre and Conservative parties will constantly be at each others’ throats, so the longer the Labour Party’s leaders can put off a real membership debate, the tighter they will sit. Indeed, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg may know exactly what he is doing, discussing membership in a ten-year perspective.