Conservatives demand the best jobs (Verdens Gang)

The Conservatives want the new government’s prime minister and finance minister to come from their party. When the exploratory talks took a break late last night, there was still no clarification of the issue. "The Conservatives remain adamant that they want both these positions. If they get them, it will mean that the Conservatives will determine the framework for the next four years’ national budgets. The distribution of ministerial positions is therefore also important in deciding what political line this government will pursue, said a Christian Democrat source at 00.20 last night.

Tough talking

"The exploratory talks continue," said Christian Democrat leader Kjell Magne Bondevik last night, after receiving the necessary backing from the party’s parliamentary group. When asked if the talks had so far been tougher than he had expected, Mr Bondevik replied diplomatically: "About as tough as we could expect." The Christian Democrats and the Liberals are keen to present a united front in relation to the Conservatives. The Christian Democrats and the Liberals could be willing to give up having a majority in the government if Mr Bondevik becomes prime minister.

Yes to deployment of Norwegian troops (Nationen)

Six out of 10 Norwegians say yes to the deployment of Norwegian troops in connection with a possible anti-terrorist action by Nato. Thirty per cent do not want to send Norwegian personnel into a war against terrorism, according to a survey carried out by analysis and consulting group, Sentio. "The level of support is what one could expect of a Nato alliance partner," said Hans J. Røsjorde (Progress Party), chairman of the Storting’s Defence Committee. However, the Socialist Left Party is demanding UN approval before they will accept that Norwegian personnel are deployed in a war against terrorism.

Kværner closer to a solution (Aftenposten)

"We have agreed that Kværner has a liquidity problem, but that the company is otherwise solid. I would therefore be surprised if we do not find a solution," said Kværner’s chairman, Harald Arnkværn. Employee representative to the board, Rolf Utgård, disagrees. He feels the negotiations are no longer making any headway. However, there was a slight glimmer of hope yesterday when it became clear that Kværner would be paid just over NOK 1 billion this week for the Stena Don, a drilling rig which it is currently building.

Røkke does not want state aid (Dagens Næringsliv)

Kjell Inge Røkke has said he does not want government help to bail out Kværner. The company’s union representatives, on the other hand, are keen to have the Government on board. Yesterday Mr Røkke met representatives of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) at the LO’s headquarters in Oslo. LO president Gerd-Liv Valla and Kværner’s senior union representative, Rolf Utgård, had already had a meeting lasting several hours to discuss the crisis at the company. That Kjell Inge Røkke arrived to join the senior LO officials’ discussions was more unusual. "But I think the private sector should find a solution in the best way it can. We do not ask the public sector to go in and sort out what is other people’s responsibility," said Mr Røkke after the meeting.

Almskog could lose record parachute (Verdens Gang)

Kjell Almskog could lose the juiciest severance pay and pension deal in Norwegian history. He could lose more than NOK 35 million if Kværner goes bankrupt. Parachutes and executive pay are not priority items for the official receiver. If Kværner files for bankruptcy Mr Almskog would therefore be at the back of the queue when it comes to being paid what he is due. Ordinary employees’ wages come first.

Government guarantees keep airlines flying (Aftenposten)

The Government has issued guarantees which in a worst case scenario could cost the taxpayer tens of millions of kroner. In so doing they have ensured that SAS and other airlines can keep their planes in the air. In practice the Norwegian government, along with other states around the world, have shouldered an enormous liability which was previously the responsibility of the insurance industry. "The way the situation is now it is difficult to see any alternative to giving the airlines this kind of helping hand," said Transport Minister Terje Moe Gustavsen.

Worth Noting

• The Conservatives, Christian Democrats and Liberals are thought to have laid to rest the majority of their political differences in their efforts to establish a political platform for a new non-socialist government. But the two major parties are entrenched in their opposition to each other over who should be appointed prime minister. The exploratory talks have now reached their final, decisive point. (NTB)
• At 12.00 today the tug-of-war over who is to be Norway’s next prime minister will be decided. By then the representatives from the Conservative, Christian Democratic and Liberal parties will have reached a conclusion about the exploratory talks which broke off last night, and Kjell Magne Bondevik will go to the Christian Democrats’ parliamentary group to get a final yes or no to the results. (Dagbladet)
• The Norwegian Armed Forces is cutting the number of soldiers in uniform. Next year the army will only need 11,000 soldiers compared to 30,000 at the start of the 1990s. Hans J. Røsjorde (Progress Party), chairman of the Storting’s Defence Committee, feels the figures are alarming. 11,000 men represents just 40 per cent of the potential male year group, a proportion which Mr Røsjorde says is too low. (Aftenposten)
• The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Gro Harlem Bruntland, spoke yesterday of the danger of terrorist attacks using biological or chemical weapons. After the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, fear has spread to many countries. "People have begun to think about other unthinkable actions, like the deliberate spreading of infectious diseases," she said. (Dagbladet)
• Trade and Industry Minister Grete Knudsen ensured she had political backing for a refusal to launch a government bail-out for ailing Kværner, even before this weekend’s round of negotiations. This has been confirmed by several sources involved in the process. During a break in the negotiations last Friday, Ms Knudsen rang both Conservative leader Jan Petersen and the Christian Democrats’ Kjell Magne Bondevik, to secure majority support. (Verdens Gang)

Today’s comment from Aftenposten

The Conservatives, Christian Democrats and Liberals were yesterday engaged in a decisive phase in their exploratory talks on the establishment of a tripartite coalition. At stake was not only the three parties’ credibility as a government alternative, but also to a large extent their sense of stewardship with regard to the will of the people. It would be a humiliating defeat for all three parties if their exploratory talks end in failure. But that is not all. The voters see that the differences between them are not so great that it is impossible to negotiate an agreement if their will is strong enough. Party leaders who do not show sufficient will in this situation weaken the voters’ confidence in their politicians – a confidence which is already worn paper thin. It is still our opinion that the Conservatives, Christian Democrats and Liberals make up the grouping which, despite everything, has the best chance of delivering a viable government in keeping with the wishes of the voters. The voters’ clearest message was that the Labour Party was ripe for replacement. All the three parties who were still round the table late last night campaigned on the basis that the country needed a new government. They must therefore show that they meant what they said, even though the voters did not give them a majority, and even though two of the parties were forced to dust off their more or less clearly articulated plan B.