Labour still wants cooperation with Christian Democrats (Dagsavisen)

Despite the warnings of the Labour Party’s youth wing, AUF, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is refusing to give up his hopes of a deal with the Christian Democrats. "We must accept that cooperation means cooperating with someone we don’t always agree with. I realize that this does not seem as inspiring and clear cut as going it alone. But if we are not willing to cooperate with others, we could find ourselves in a position where we are prevented from implementing our policies," said Mr Stoltenberg yesterday, during his visit to the AUF’s summer camp at Utøya.

Disappointed with Bondevik (Vårt Land)

"It would be wrong of the Christian Democrats to tie our future totally to the fate of the Liberals and the Centre Party," said Christian Democrat leader Kjell Magne Bondevik in an interview with NRK Radio yesterday. The Liberal’s Odd Einar Dørum feels his party has been written off, and describes Mr Bondevik’s comments as unnecessary. Åslaug Haga, deputy chairman of the Centre Party, also reacted strongly to the way Kjell Magne Bondevik has apparently ‘written off’ the centre alliance alternative. "It is not a prime ministerial candidate’s job to sow doubts about his coalition partners’ support in the run-up to an election," she said. Ms Haga makes no bones about the fact that the Centre Party would prefer the Christian Democrats to stick solely to the centre alliance alternative.

Liberals ready to bury centre alliance (Dagsavisen)

Yesterday the Liberals and the Centre Party gave their own prime ministerial candidate, the Christian Democrats’ Kjell Magne Bondevik, a public dressing down. They claimed Mr Bondevik was casting doubts on the centre alliance. Today Liberal leader Lars Sponheim is warning that the cooperation between the parties of the centre will be abandoned after the election. "I do not think it is likely that we will continue with such a close cooperation for another four years in opposition. The alliance is tied to the 2001 election. I do not think we will be going to the polls as a joint alternative without Kjell Magne Bondevik," said Mr Sponheim.

This is how Sampo will be stopped (Dagens Næringsliv)

Finance Minister Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen is planning to close Sampo’s legislative loophole with another ‘unknown’ legal clause – Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Insurance Companies Act. This says that Sampo may only have other financial institutions as co-shareholders if Storebrand is to become a subsidiary. Among the 16.5 per cent of Storebrand’s shareholders who rejected Sampo’s offer are a number of private investors.

Silent on Bulgaria (Aftenposten)

Foreign Minister Thorbjørn Jagland is refusing to comment on the criticism which has been levelled at the Foreign Ministry over its handling of the recent wave of Bulgarian asylum-seekers. "Mr Jagland has abdicated from his own job. I am tempted to ask if it is permanent," says Progress Party chairman Carl I. Hagen. The Conservatives’ Erna Solberg has also reacted strongly. "Mr Jagland is busy with so many things at the moment, but he should get down to doing his job as Foreign Minister and sort out who has responsibility for what in this affair," said Ms Solberg. According to acting spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Erling Rimestad, this is not an issue on which it would be natural for Mr Jagland, as the Foreign Ministry’s senior political leader, to comment.

Worth Noting

• Three Bulgarian bus drivers were arrested yesterday and charged with offences in connection with the Immigration Act. So far none of the Bulgarians who have had their applications for political asylum evaluated has been granted asylum. (Dagsavisen)
• In the past 24 hours a total of 154 Bulgarians have arrived in Norway seeking political asylum. (NTB)
• "Kjell Magne Bondevik has a duty to safeguard the interests of all the centre alliance parties," said Liberal leader Lars Sponheim. (Nationen)
• Kjell Magne Bondevik rejects outright the claim that he has thrown doubt on a centre alliance coalition. "There is no doubt that the Christian Democratic Party stands firmly behind a centre alliance alternative," said prime ministerial candidate, Kjell Magne Bondevik. (Dagsavisen)
• DnB’s top management contacted every single member of the National Insurance Fund’s board of directors to argue in favour of a Norwegian solution. The National Insurance Fund describes DnB’s tactic as "special" and "unconventional". (Dagens Næringsliv)
• In reality Sampo has enough shares to take control of Storebrand, but the Norwegian authorities still believe Sampo can be stopped. If that happens it may give the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) additional ammunition in its battle against Norwegian limitations on stock ownership. (Aftenposten)
• To the annoyance of Oslo’s car hire companies, Volvo has signed a deal with the Palace to supply 25 luxury cars for use in connection with the royal wedding in August. It is not known how much the deal is worth, but Wenche Halsen of the PR agency, Geelmuyden.Kiese, believes that when the wedding procession glides over our TV screens, the advertising value to Volvo could be at least NOK 10 million. (Aftenposten)

Today’s comment from Verdens Gang

Kjell Magne Bondevik has now come right out and said what has been hanging in the air for some time. He has lost his faith in the centre alliance as a government alternative, and is open for a coalition with the Conservatives. The Christian Democratic prime ministerial candidate believes it is too risky for his party to tie itself to a coalition with the Centre Party and the Liberals, given the current sickly state of both these parties. Mr Bondevik’s analysis of the centre alliance parties’ chances of returning to power is, of course, completely correct. His conclusion comes as absolutely no surprise. By his comments and his doubts about the viability of a centre alliance alternative, Mr Bondevik has effectively laid the project to rest. When the man who loyally promised to focus all his efforts on promoting the centre alliance as a coalition alternative no longer has any faith in it, you cannot expect anyone else to have any either. The Liberals and the Centre Party have been criticized internally for having given up too much political ground by joining the centre alliance. The critics have been proved right, and now Mr Bondevik has decided to pocket the winnings and walk away. We therefore agree with Liberal leader Lars Sponheim, who says it shows a lack of morals on Mr Bondevik’s part. Mr Bondevik has been riding at least two horses at the same time – a tactic which almost never ends well. He should have spoken up earlier. By waiting until the election campaign’s final stages before telling his comrades he no longer has any faith in them, Mr Bondevik has revealed a lot about his cynicism when it comes to obtaining power.