Jagland doesn’t understand the criticism (Dagsavisen)

The criticism against Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland is coming fast and thick, but he denies that he is trying to put a lid on the leadership debate. "After all, I was the one that took the initiative to launch this debate," he said. The schism between the Jagland and the Stoltenberg groups is becoming more pronounced, with both sides accusing the other of being out of order. The party leaders will try to agree on a strategy for handling this conflict today.

Power struggle? – don’t know (Aftenposten)

For the first time, party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland no longer denies that a struggle for power is taking place at the head of the party, but on the other hand, he does not admit it. At least he is perfectly aware of the fact that to outsiders it looks like a power struggle. "I’ve no problem with that," he said. Asked whether it is not, in fact, a power struggle, he says he doesn’t know.

STOLTENBERG PRAISES BOOK, SILENT ON LEADERSHIP CONFLICT (Aftenposten)

Jens Stoltenberg declines to comment on the leadership conflict before Monday’s executive committee meeting. He denies that Mr. Jagland’s book may be taken as part of the leadership debate now going on in the party, and he does not view it as criticism of political choices he has taken. "I am glad that Thorbjørn has had the opportunity to write this book. It is a good book with a wealth of insights," says Mr. Stoltenberg.

Jagland and Stoltenberg both losing popular support (Verdens Gang)

Forty per cent of all voters irrespective of party loyalties favour Jens Stoltenberg as head of the Labour Party. Among Labour voters the figure is even higher. In his own party, support for Mr. Stoltenberg is sixty per cent, against 12 per cent for Thorbjørn Jagland. The popularity of both has declined since a similar poll was taken on 18 December, however, when 50 per cent wanted Stoltenberg and 16 per cent Jagland.

Jagland will not let up (Dagbladet)

Thorbjørn Jagland is turning up the pressure on Jens Stoltenberg, saying that the party cannot have concealed candidates for chairman. On Monday he will let the executive committee know in no uncertain terms how he wants things done. Many Labour MPs are moving away from Mr. Jagland’s line in this conflict, however. Mr. Jagland is playing for high stakes, and he stands pat on his view that as party chairman he carries a heavy responsibility for making his position clear.

Teachers satisfied with pay level (Dagsavisen)

A majority of teachers are more satisfied now with the pay they receive than at any other time in the past ten years. Only one in three is dissatisfied, according to a recent survey. But teachers are more dissatisfied than most other occupational groups. 57 per cent of the population as a whole are satisfied with their pay. Half of the teachers find their work mentally exhausting. This is nearly twice the figure for the population in general.

Solberg acknowledges asylum policy criticism (Aftenposten)

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Erna Solberg (Cons.) has announced a number of measures to reduce the influx of criminal asylum-seekers. Applications that are obviously without merit will be weeded out. Preventive custody will be a more active option to use against criminal asylum-seekers. Ms. Solberg agrees with some of the criticism voiced by Tromsø police chief Truls Fyhn earlier this week against Norwegian asylum policy. "He is right that certain aspects of Norwegian asylum policy have been too naive and must be reassessed," she said.

Worth noting

• Thorbjørn Jagland writes that it was a mistake for the Labour Party to form a government in March 2000. Unfortunately, the publicity for his book is being overwhelmed by the uproar taking place in the Labour Party. (Dagsavisen)
• "I believe a clear majority of Labour voters are tired of Mr. Jagland. I do not think his book will make any difference at all in the power struggle, regardless of how interesting it may be," says former Dagsavisen editor-in-chief, Steinar Hansson. (Dagbladet)
• People on both sides believe the power struggle in the Labour Party will erupt into full-scale war between Jagland and Stoltenberg on Monday. Both sides feel assured of victory at the national convention in November. (Dagsavisen)
• Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland feels the party should return to its traditional political platform, which gave the state a stronger role in society. He leaves no doubt that he intends to do this job himself. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• No to the EU applauds Thorbjørn Jagland’s book. Eurosceptics are particularly happy with Mr. Jagland’s criticism of the EU’s resource policies. (Dagsavisen)
• Major accidents and fear of terrorists have driven insurance premiums through the ceiling. Norwegian shipping lines paid several hundred million kroner in premiums last year. The rise is chiefly due to a supplementary premium charged on transport in areas of particularly high risk. (Aftenposten)
• Statoil will award the first contract in the development of the Kristin oil field on the Halten Bank in the Norwegian Sea today. All indications last night pointed to Aker Maritime as the most likely to receive this contract, which is worth NOK 5 billion. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Petroleum minister Einar Steensnæs will be selling 46 financial interest shares in oil and gas on the Norwegian shelf for over NOK 12 billion. When the deadline expired yesterday, only a few of the smallest companies had reported that they would not submit bids. The decision on who will be allowed to buy what will be taken around the end of February or the beginning of March. (Aftenposten)
• Another 400 Telenor employees will be sacked in Norway. Telenor CEO Tormod Hermansen has trimmed his workforce by nearly 3000 in the space of a single year. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• High winds and heavy rains pounded Nordland County yesterday, causing floods and landslides. A number of roads were closed, and a train carrying 20 passengers derailed north of Rognan yesterday afternoon. The engine driver sustained minor injuries. (Aftenposten)

Today’s comment from Nationen

The Labour Party is not doing well at all these days. The Norwegian adage, "accidents seldom come alone", certainly holds true in this case, and if things continue, it could take years for the party to recover – if it does at all. There are those who are starting to wonder if the "Labour era" in Norwegian politics is over and if Labour is going the same way as the Liberals. The case for this view is getting stronger and stronger. Labour has recently suffered a historic election defeat; it was easy to think that things couldn’t get worse – the shock of defeat would surely get the leaders and the rank and file to pull together. Unbelievably, this is not what took place. Instead, a chaotic leadership debate flared up, with the two top candidates – both with their blunder quotas full – fighting for supremacy. But Labour’s leadership conflict merely reflects the party’s overall situation: social democracy is in a state of crisis. Politically speaking, the Labour Party is barely ticking over, and the leadership debate is devoid of any real content. What the whole situation boils down to is a pure and simple fight between two ambitious centres of power in the Labour Party.