Norway
Kristin Svorte, Dagbladet
“Pay up, or humanity will pay the price”. With the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House in January, that key message from UN General Secretary António Guterres was seen as even more urgent at this year’s Climate Summit, which ended in dismay at wealthy nations’ inability to commit sufficient funds to repay their climate debt. Oil-rich Norway, however, showed once again that it will gladly pay more than most countries to keep up appearances as a ‘climate leader.’ But will it ever bring a true gift to humanity, one that does ...
read more "Bad Santa? How Norway can provide real climate jobs"
read more "Bad Santa? How Norway can provide real climate jobs"
For the first time in a century, Norway’s Labour Party failed to top the country’s local and regional elections, pipped to the post by the centre-right conservatives. Ingrid Wergeland looks at the election, and the political trends behind the result.
A dark blue wind
A dark blue wind has blown across Norway in the municipal elections held on September 11. Høyre (the Conservative Party, 25.9 percent, +5.8) and the right-populist Fremskrittspartiet (Progress Party, 11.3 percent, +3.1) have gained power in a majority of cities....
read more "In Norway local elections herald a shift to the right"
read more "In Norway local elections herald a shift to the right"
Event ReportOn 8-9 June 2023 the Brussels Office of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (RLS) hosted a workshop in Malmö to facilitate the exchange of experiences and strategies between several left-wing parties grappling with the issue of security policy, particularly in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The event was held face-to-face and invitation-only to guarantee an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality to participants.
The workshop brought together 20 party activists and decision-makers from the political left in Sweden, ...
read more "“Security and the Left” – Impact Workshop"
read more "“Security and the Left” – Impact Workshop"
The first two years of Norway’s Arbeiderpartiet (Labour Party)/ Senterpartiet (Centre Party) coalition government have seen the challenges mount up, with debates about solidarity dominating at the international level, while domestic economic inequality has increased.
A new hope?
The expectations for real political change after the 2021 elections were high. The centre-left and socialist parties had won a solid majority in parliament, after eight years of conservative-liberal welfare and public sector cuts, tax cuts for the wealthy, and ...
read more "Strained Alliances in Norwegian Politics"
read more "Strained Alliances in Norwegian Politics"
Duroyan Fertl interviewed Tobias Lund, MP for Norwegian left party Rødt (“Red”)The impact of the war in Ukraine in the Nordic countries has been largely viewed with reference to Finland and Sweden and their possible accession to NATO. But what have been the reactions of other Nordic countries to Russia's war of aggression, what are their most important demands, and what role are left parties playing in this response? Tobias Drevland Lund, an MP from the Norwegian left party Rødt, outlines the experience in Norway, and the prospects...
read more "“The government has been relying too much on the EU”"
read more "“The government has been relying too much on the EU”"
Labour will lead new government with a clear mandate for changeIn Norway’s parliamentary election on Monday, 13 September 2021, the country took a significant leftward turn, with candidates on the left of the political spectrum securing 100 out of a total of 169 seats in the national parliament. It is unclear who will form a government, but it will likely be a majority coalition bringing together the Labour Party (Ap), the Centre Party (Sp) and the Socialist Left Party (SV), or a minority coalition made up of just the first two of these parties. ...
read more "Breakthrough for Norway’s Radical Left"
read more "Breakthrough for Norway’s Radical Left"
Since Norway rejected European Union (EU) membership in a 1994 referendum, eurosceptic sentiment has remained strong, with a majority against joining for the past 15 years. EU membership is not an issue ahead of the parliamentary election on 13 September. What is up for discussion is the agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), making Norway part of the single market, and alternatives to this agreement. There is growing concern about Norway’s subordinate relationship with the EU, and trade unionists are critical due to ...
read more "Norway Is Moving to the Left – And Rethinking Its EU Relations"
read more "Norway Is Moving to the Left – And Rethinking Its EU Relations"
For the coming weeks, RLS Brussels Office will publish clips from colleagues, comrades, and friends from Europe and beyond giving personal impressions of the crisis, the measures, living and coping. Helene Bank is Acting General Manager at the Campaign for the Welfare State in Oslo, Norway.