Record-high anti-EU sentiment (Nationen)

Opposition to Norwegian membership of the EU has reached new heights. If a referendum were held now, 56.7 per cent of the population would vote against membership. A year ago there was a majority in favour of membership. Opposition to the EU is strong all over the country, even in Oslo, which has traditionally been an EU stronghold. "This is fantastic. People are quite satisfied to remain outside the EU, and are not interested in resuming the EU battle now," said Sigbjørn Gjelsvik, head of No to the EU.

Jagland has misunderstood (Dagsavisen)

According to Labour Party’s energy policy spokeswoman Gunn Karin Gjul, Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland has misunderstood how gas can be used in Norway. She disagrees with his view that gas will come to play a major role in Norwegian households, and believes that it is more important to concentrate on industrial use of gas. The Labour Party and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions plan to invest NOK eight billion in developing various ways of using gas in Norway, and this will lead to a five-fold increase in the domestic use of gas.

Making a mountain out of a molehill (Dagbladet)

"Of course I agree with Thorbjørn Jagland’s letter about the Conservative Party. Now you’re making a mountain out of a molehill," said Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. He is annoyed that people have been given the impression that he disagrees with Labour chairman Thorbjørn Jagland as a result of Mr. Jagland’s open letter criticizing Conservative Party chairman Jan Petersen.

Put pressure on DnB (Dagens Næringsliv)

The National Insurance Fund has conditionally accepted the sale of Storebrand shares to Sampo. This decision means that 90 per cent of Storebrand’s shareholders will be exerting intense pressure on Den norske Bank. The government-owned National Insurance Fund owns almost ten per cent of the shares in Storebrand. Politicians put the National Insurance Fund in a very awkward position in the Sampo-Storebrand affair. One after another, the political parties have said that the National Insurance Fund should not sell its shares to Sampo.

Politicians chided for putting pressure on Insurance Fund (Aftenposten)

The National Insurance Fund board used three hours more than planned to decide to sell its Storebrand shares to Sampo. Only yesterday Labour, Christian Democrat and Centre politicians asked the board not to sell. Although these requests were made in vain, they were quite exasperating for the board. "This has been a difficult situation for us. We want to be seen as a serious, professional actor in the stock market," said Chairman of the Board Bjørg Ven after the board meeting yesterday.

Want to change National Insurance Fund’s mandate (Dagsavisen)

The Socialist Left and Centre parties would like the National Insurance Fund’s mandate to be changed in order to ensure that the board takes "long-term social considerations" into account in the future. Both parties are shocked that a majority of the board, which consists of political appointees, opened up yesterday for the sale of the Fund’s Storebrand shares to the Finnish financial services company Sampo. A majority in the Storting want the Norwegian DnB to acquire Storebrand.

WORTH NOTING

• Foreign Minister Thorbjørn Jagland is launching a hefty counterattack against the media and politicians who have criticized his crass open letter to Jan Petersen. He feels that the political debate in Norway is different from such debates in all other countries, and that anyone who tries to speak frankly to the voters is systematically contradicted. In his view, he himself is a victim of this sort of treatment. (Dagbladet)
• A new Norwegian report, financed in part by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, concludes that Israel is trying to destroy the social, economic and political structure of Palestinian society. The report is unequivocal in its condemnation of Israel. (Aftenposten)
• Minister of Finance Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen makes it clear that he supports Den norske Bank fully. There will be no question of bending the rules that give DnB alone the opportunity to block Sampo’s acquisition of Storebrand. DnB owns 9.8 per cent of the shares in Storebrand. (Aftenposten)
• Tor Steig, chief economist at the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry, says that Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg must be judged according to his actions. According to Mr. Steig, last year Mr. Stoltenberg contributed to the loss of 5500 jobs in industries that are exposed to competition. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Christian Democratic Party chairman Valgerd Svarstad Haugland will consider lowering taxes on alcohol. She regrets that Sweden has opened up for the sale of alcohol on Saturdays, and is afraid that this will attract more Norwegians to Sweden. (Dagbladet)
• The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Administration is warning people to stay away from the edges of glaciers this year. Due to unusual snow conditions there is a greater danger than usual of falling into a crevasse. (Verdens Gang)

TODAY’S COMMENT from Dagbladet:

Currently almost all the natural gas that is produced on the Norwegian continental shelf is exported. Yesterday a committee appointed by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions and the Labour Party presented an ambitious plan for using ten per cent of Norwegian gas production in Norway within ten years. The committee’s recommendation describes a possible means of shifting Norway’s main source of energy from petroleum to natural gas. The committee’s basic premise is that the final result will contribute significantly to Norway’s ability to fulfil its obligations in accordance with the Kyoto Climate Agreement, and to reduce current CO2 emissions substantially. The plan includes more intensive research into pollution-free gas-fired power plants, and into energy systems based on hydrogen. The first comments made by environmental organizations and from the opposition have been predictable and negative. The committee has made a serious recommendation presenting a number of challenging problems that deserve to be taken seriously, and that could inspire a constructive debate.