Stoltenberg slams door on Socialist Left Party (Aftenposten)

Kristin Halvorsen, leader of the Socialist Left Party, has attacked Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg’s rejection of a coalition government including the Labour Party and the Socialist Left Party as completely lacking in credibility. The PM and Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland have repeatedly said they would prefer to see a permanent parliamentary majority behind a new government. However, it is obvious that Mr Stoltenberg sees himself as continuing to lead a minority Labour government. At his monthly meeting with the parliamentary press corps yesterday, he declared his position quite plainly. "I do not think it is realistic to imagine any formal cooperation between the Labour Party, the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party after the election – even if these three parties should form a majority in the Storting," he said.

Progress Party up and Labour down in new poll (Nationen)

Support for the Progress Party has gone up 2.6 percentage points to 16.3 per cent according to an opinion poll carried out by Sentio-Norstat for Nationen in April. The Progress Party is therefore not far from regaining its position as the country’s second largest party. The Labour Party is the poll’s major loser, dropping 3.6 percentage points to 26.9 per cent. Support for the Christian Democrats rose by 1.1 percentage point, while the "others" group jumped 2.6 percentage points to 2.9 per cent.

Agreement on Statoil’s SDFI purchase (Aftenposten)

The Petroleum and Energy Ministry (OED) and Statoil have reached agreement on which of the shares in Norway’s oil and gas fields Statoil is to purchase and the price involved. As part of the deal Statoil will increase its stake in the enormous Troll field. The Storting voted just over a week ago to allow Statoil to buy 15 per cent of the State’s Direct Financial Interest (SDFI) in the oil sector. Calculations show this corresponds to shares in oil and gas fields worth around NOK 30-40 billion. This is probably the largest ever sell-off of state owned assets in Norway’s history.

Fighting to the bitter end (Dagens Næringsliv)

After 27 years at Orkla, chief executive Jens P. Heyerdahl is not about to hand over the reins of power without a fight. Orkla’s annual general meeting today looks like being the arena for a real battle over who will be voted on to the company’s board of directors. Mr Heyerdahl may get the support of the major US banking institution J.P. Morgan. Former president of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry and himself former chairman of Orkla, Leif Frode Onarheim, is publicly critical of Mr Heyerdahl and supports the proposal for changes in the membership of Orkla’s Corporate Assembly, the body which elects board members. Mr Onarheim does not feel Mr Heyerdahl should be elected as Orkla’s new chairman.

Heading home for Orkla battle (Aftenposten)

Orkla’s annual general meeting to be held in Sarpsborg today looks like being a battle of the juggernauts. Stein Erik Hagen, one of Orkla’s largest shareholders, has changed his mind and is returning home to slug it out in person. Another major shareholder, Christen Sveaas, will also meet chief executive Jens P. Heyerdahl face to face in the ring. The run up to the AGM has not been the most promising. Most recently chairman Finn A. Hvistendahl has angered board member Christen Sveaas, who wants to know if Mr Hvistendahl believes claims that he is behind a smear campaign aimed at Orkla. Mr Heyerdahl made the claims in a recent edition of Aftenposten.

Hooked on sleeping pills (Dagsavisen)

Norwegian consumption of tranquillizers, sleeping pills and antidepressants exploded last year, according to a report from the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. According to the report, 230,000 Norwegians take tranquillizers on a daily basis to help them cope with their lives. Together, antidepressants, sleeping pills and tranquillizers accounted for around 20 per cent of the medicines sold by pharmacists last year. This corresponds to NOK 2.2 billion out of a total turnover of NOK 11.4 billion.

Inadequate training for foreign doctors (Aftenposten)

Foreign doctors who have been recruited to work in Norway are rarely given an introduction to conditions in Norway or followed up with advice and help. A report by the research institute, Rogalandforskning, shows that many foreign doctors are working in the North of Norway, where they often feel isolated. According to the report, the doctors lack a basic knowledge of the Norwegian health and social services systems, and misunderstandings often occur. The Health Ministry says the recruitment of doctors from other countries is being gradually reduced.

100,000 immigrant votes up for grabs (Vårt Land)

Voters of immigrant descent make up the fastest growing group in the electorate. As a result Saera Khan could become the first woman with an immigrant background to win a permanent seat in the Storting at this autumn’s general election. Ms Khan is the sixth placed candidate on the Labour Party’s Oslo list, and could attract a decisive number of votes from the capital’s immigrant community.

Worth Noting

• The Finnish forestry products giant, Finnforest, has become the majority shareholder in Moelven Industrier, the publicly listed Norwegian producer of laminated timber, prefabricated construction modules and interior fittings. Norwegian forest owners responded unfavourably to news of the takeover, which was announced yesterday. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• No one wants to take over as chairman of Telenor from Eivind Reiten, who has been appointed Director General of Norsk Hydro and is therefore obliged to resign his position at Telenor. According to a TV2 news bulletin, a number of potential candidates have been sounded out about becoming Mr Reiten’s successor at Telenor. At least three of them have said no. (Aftenposten)
• Kværner’s chief executive, Kjell Almskog, is gambling his all on Kjell Inge Røkke failing to gain control of the company at tomorrow’s annual general meeting. Mr Almskog has said outright that he views Mr Røkke’s actions as hostile. This is the dramatic background to tomorrow’s battle over who will take a seat on Kværner’s board of directors. (Verdens Gang)
• The Danes benefit most from their participation in the airline, SAS, which is jointly owned by Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Norway has the fewest employees. Transport Minister Terje Moe Gustavsen has warned SAS to mend its ways. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Kværner’s Sea Launch project is preparing for a new launch, to take place 8 May. The plan is to launch a commercial digital radio satellite, called Roll. Kværner has a 20 per cent stake in Sea Launch. (Aftenposten)
• The number of legacies and scholarships for which individuals can apply is increasing steadily. More than NOK 500 million is given away each year. And it is not only students who can apply for a share of these funds. Anyone can receive a cash grant, but there are a particularly large number of legacies which provide financial support for educational or research purposes. (Dagbladet)

Today’s comment from Aftenposten

At yesterday’s press briefing Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg repeated the Labour leadership’s May Day message. It is "increasingly unlikely" that this autumn’s election will lead to a new centre alliance government. According to the PM, the threat comes from a minority government made up of the Conservative and Christian Democratic Parties, which is dependent on support from the Progress Party. In other words, Mr Stoltenberg is preparing for a battle against what has been called the Christian Democrats’ plan B. How many of the voters perceive this as a threat remains to be seen. Mr Stoltenberg’s response is that the Labour Party simply must stick to its policies. According to the PM, we should not expect any noticeable change in political direction when the Government presents its revised national budget proposal in 10 days’ time. This should mean we will not see any more populist gestures of the kind we have seen recently, such as the sudden shelving of controversial tax proposals. The Government deserves credit if it sticks to a coherent set of policies in the face of the dramatic slump in popularity reflected in the polls. At the same time we note with a certain respect that Mr Stoltenberg has laid to rest as unrealistic recent speculation about a possible majority government made up of the Labour Party, the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party. The Labour Party can implement many of its most important policies with the support of quite a different set of parties. Mr Stoltenberg is prepared to continue in power with the ad-hoc support of the other parties in the Storting. However, his problem is that the new Storting may not have the composition he needs to remain in office. This autumn’s election will be a battle to decide who forms the next government.