The Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Oslo Press Division

Norway Daily No. 64/00

Date: 30 March 2000

BEELINE TO THE EU (Dagsavisen)

The Government is already living up to its declared programme of pursuing a more active EU policy. The new ministers - old EU advocates all - have been running a veritable shuttle between Oslo and Brussels. Foreign Minister Thorbjørn Jagland took his first trip on Tuesday, and yesterday it was Minister of Trade and Industry Grete Knudsen’s turn. Minister of the Environment Siri Bjerke is in Brussels today. EU relations were brought up at yesterday’s Question Time when Centre Party chairman Odd Roger Enoksen asked about the basis for the more offensive policy to be pursued by the new Government and the new Foreign Minister in particular. We want a more active policy. Europe’s future is Norway’s future, replied Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, but he made it clear that his Government’s policy is based on the results of the 1994 referendum on EU membership.

EU DEBATE STIFLED (Nationen)

Storting President Hans J. Røsjorde (Progress) did not let Johan J. Jakobsen (Centre) and Kristin Halvorsen (Soc.Left) in on the EU debate in the Storting yesterday. Both were ready to follow up the question from Centre Party chairman Odd Roger Enoksen inquiring into the Government’s EU policy and the basis for the Labour Government’s offensive aimed at the EU. Ms. Halvorsen later said that Mr. Røsjorde was entitled to use his judgement in moderating the Question Time. But he used bad judgement this time in stopping an EU round,said an irritated Ms. Halvorsen.

LABOUR ON THE REBOUND (Dagsavisen)

Labour is up to 37.1 per cent in AC Nielsen’s political barometer, so it looks as if the voters are reacting positively to Jens Stoltenberg’s new Government. But the Christian Democrats, with a 4.8 point gain, are the big winners. At 17 per cent, they are now the largest opposition party. Progress and the Conservatives are both down, 2.6 and 2.2 points respectively. Only minor changes were noted for the other parties.

PETERSEN’S UNPOPULARITY SPREADING NORTH (Aftenposten)

A number of local leaders and Conservative Party politicians in northern Norway are discontent with the party’s leadership situation. There are feelings that party chairman Jan Petersen and deputy chairman Inge Lønning have been inept in handling relations with the political centre since the Labour Government took over. Arrogant and condescending are words that recur in descriptions of national party leaders. Some are saying right out that they would like to see a change in leadership. A number of people have suggested splitting up functions, giving us one party chairman and another parliamentary leader, says Elisabeth Aspaker, member of the Conservative Party’s elections committee.

NORVIK OUT OF OIL FOR LIFE (Aftenposten)

Former Statoil chief Harald Norvik can earn up to NOK 800,000 per year working for others without affecting his NOK 1.4 million early retirement pension from Statoil, on the condition that he steers clear of the petroleum industry for the rest of his life. Mr. Norvik expresses understanding of critical comments about his pension, but he states that he never put any pressure on Statoil to give him such good retirement benefits. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is worried that this deal will undermine the labour negotiations, and characterizes agreements of this type as unwise. He refrains from criticising the Statoil board, however.

WORTH NOTING

1. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg does not want to be overshadowed by Kjell Magne Bondevik in the values debate. Mr. Stoltenberg will work to promote tolerance and to reduce child mortality in developing countries. (Vårt Land)
2. New figures from the municipal sector show that income disparity between men and women is on the rise. Women’s work has not been valued highly enough. If we want sensible social trends, we will have to put an end to economic discrimination of women, says Gender Equality Ombudsman Anne Lise Ryel. (Dagbladet)
3. Former Minister of Transport and Communications Kjell Opseth appeared at another hearing yesterday where he had to explain his actions while in office. This was his fourth hearing in four years on a controversial issue. (Dagbladet)
4. Speed limits on a number of roads into Oslo are reduced to 60 kph as of today. This measure is a response to high levels of pollution and is expected to cost the Public Roads Administration NOK 50,000. The police have been asked ensure that the new speed limit is respected. (Aftenposten)
5. Labour and the Socialist Left saw to it yesterday that Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg will not have to appear at an open hearing on the National Hospital next Monday. Labour had to resort to the double vote of Gunnar Skaug, chairman of the Standing Committee on Scrutiny and the Constitution, in order to swing the vote. (Dagens Næringsliv)
6. Telenor Group CEO Tormod Hermansen is losing directors right and left as the date for the state-owned data and telecoms concern’s going public approaches. Ten directors have resigned since December. (Dagens Næringsliv)
7. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg makes it clear that Statoil has relatively free hands in deciding for itself whether it wants to become a publicly-listed company through alliances with foreign entities. Both Gaz de France and Ruhrgas are potential partners. (Dagens Næringsliv)
8. Snowstorms have cost Hammerfest NOK 3 million in the past week. The mayor has now asked the central government for extraordinary funding. (Nationen)

TODAY’S COMMENT from Verdens Gang

The Labour Government’s proposal to give farmers tax breaks in order to bring food prices down does not impress us. Judging by the sort of comments made by Labour about similar proposals on previous occasions, we do not think anyone in the party is impressed either. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg himself has been one of strongest opponents of special tax breaks. The bill he will now sign on behalf of the Government violates his most fundamental principles on taxation. The only explanation is that Labour is performing this farm policy pirouette in order to impress the Centre Party. Strategic considerations must be the motivation when a party abandons its principles and drops its former misgivings about this type of measure as soon as it is in charge. Like everyone else, we welcome all measures which promise to reduce food prices, but a general NOK 36,000 tax deduction allowed to all farmers, as Minister of Agriculture Bjarne Håkon Hanssen explains it, does not look good at all. If the Government really wants to do something to bring prices down quickly, a structurally-based financial support mechanism would have been the way to go. At least this would have been a step towards restructuring in Norwegian agriculture.