The Royal Ministry Of Foreign Affairs,
Oslo Press Division

Norway Daily No. 41/00

Date: 28 February 2000

GAS PROPOSAL REJECTED BY LABOUR (Aftenposten-Saturday)

The coalition parties were greatly disappointed on Friday night after it became clear that Labour has conclusively rejected the Government’s gas-power proposal, the elements of which were viewed as an attempt by the Government to weather the crisis. The coalition’s proposal regarding clean gas-burning power plants would have cost NOK 7 billion over a five-year period. Minister of Petroleum and Energy Marit Arnstad justifies this expenditure, rejecting the notion that it is a huge subsidy drain.

LABOUR OUTCRY AGAINST STOLTENBERG (Dagsavisen-Saturday)

While Jens Stoltenberg wields the gas-power issue as a weapon to drive the Bondevik Government out of office, other Labour Party members are raising an outcry against party leaders. The initiators do not feel they are being disloyal by opposing party leaders just as Jens Stoltenberg is moving into a position to become prime minister.

CONFLICT ESCALATING (Dagsavisen-Sunday)

The war of nerves between the Government and the opposition is mounting in intensity. Liberal Party chairman Lars Sponheim and potential Labour prime minister Jens Stoltenberg stepped up the conflict over the gas power issue and the fate of the Bondevik Government. Political saboteur is how Mr. Sponheim characterized Mr. Stoltenberg, who in turn called on the Government to acknowledge that a majority within the Labour Party has supported gas-fired power plants for many years.

STOLTENBERG: NOT YET! (Verdens Gang)

Jens Stoltenberg would rather win the 2001 general election than see Prime Minister Bondevik turn government responsibility over to him this spring. The parliamentary situation will not be altered by the Government’s voluntary departure, and this is an extremely difficult Storting in which to manoeuvre. It will be more important to turn in a good performance at the polls in 2001, says Mr. Stoltenberg.

VOLLEBÆK ADOPTS SANCTIONS (Aftenposten)

Foreign Minister Knut Vollebæk has implemented sanctions against Austria on his own authority, despite provisions of the parliamentary Rules of Procedure declaring that matters of importance connected with foreign policy are to be discussed with the Storting’s Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Constitution. The steps taken against Austria are among the harshest ever taken against any European country with the exception of the former Yugoslavia. Progress Party chairman Carl I. Hagen reacts sharply against the Government’s manner of proceeding. This is a gross violation of normal procedures. Our Foreign Minister is quick to curry favour with the EU, says Mr. Hagen.

CALL FOR RAPID-ACTION GROUP AGAINST ECONOMIC CRIME (Aftenposten)

The National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim) proposes the creation of a rapid-deployment group to be used in the fight against financial crime. It should consist of small teams of personnel from the police and a number of supervisory agencies, and be prepared to respond quickly to commercial-sector crime. The targets are enterprises suspected of preparing or engaging in financial irregularities.

MUNICIPALITIES PICK AND CHOOSE (Dagsavisen)

Over half the refugees waiting for transfer to Norwegian municipalities are from Iraq or Somalia. Many of these have had to wait in government refugee centres for as long as two years because the municipalities choose which nationalities they will accept. According to the Immigration Directorate, it is much easier to get municipalities to accept Kosovars.

LILLETUN CHALLENGES TEACHERS (Dagens Næringsliv)

Minister of Education, Research and Church Affairs Jon Lilletun feels teachers should spend more time with their pupils and less on meetings. This would reduce the need for substitutes and reduce payroll costs. The funds thus saved could be used to raise normal teachers’ pay, says Mr. Lilletun.

WORTH NOTING

1. Norwegian farmers are expanding into Sweden, some by simply moving to Sweden and others by setting up cross-border operations. Norwegian farmers view the EU as a threat, but they still come here to engage in farming, says Dag Westgård of the Swedish national farmers’ union. (Aftenposten-Sunday)
2. Fish and shellfish will keep Norway’s standard of living healthy. According to the Norwegian Research Council, the marine sector will become Norway’s most important source of value, with much greater economic potential than any other sector—including the Internet—in the next 20 years. (Dagens Næringsliv)
3. Thirty years have passed since Philips Petroleum discovered the Ekofisk field in the North Sea and since then, NOK 1 trillion have poured out over the rest of the country—enough to have arranged the Winter Olympics 143 times. (Dagbladet-Sunday)
4. High winds, heavy rains, large amounts of precipitation and many closed roads ushered in the winter holidays in many parts of the country. Northern Norway has had the best weather so far, but better weather is predicted for southern Norway. (Dagbladet)

TODAY’S COMMENT from Dagbladet

Minister of Justice Odd Einar Dørum has ordered the Immigration Directorate to speed up the processing of asylum applications from Russian and Baltic nationals in an attempt to reduce the amount of crime for which many in these two groups are held responsible. The best to be said for this measure is that the intention is good. Otherwise, it violates most of the fundamental principles of our legal tradition. The first principle it compromises is that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. If we may be so free as to advise Mr. Dørum on this matter, we would counsel him to withdraw this particular order with a suitable apology. Then, he should issue a directive providing for prompt treatment of all petitions for asylum, so that no one should have to spend months waiting for an answer. The appearance of forceful and effective action can generate a certain amount of popularity, which is obviously Mr. Dørum’s intent, but the means chosen reveal a disturbing disregard for the fundamental principle of equal treatment before the law.