Norway Internal Affairs & News, Dagbladet.no

Yanks tell Norway to wait

Anonymus sources inside the government has told Dagbladet.no that the american president, Barak Obama, recently turned down a norwegian offer for cooperation regarding energy, automobile industry and natural resources. It seems that Stoltenberg was told to wait "several months, possibly half a year" before being accepted to a meeting.

Prime Minsiter Stoltenberg has denied any such message being exchanged, and that the USA was "a reliable partner today and tomorrow".

Should the rumors be true, it could be a serious dent in US-Norwegian relations. We might be a small nation, but that is certainly not a reason to be scuffed about.

Th!nk and Tata Motors form JV

The Government announces that state-owned electric vehicle company Th!nk has formed a Joint Venture with Indian Automobile giant Tata Motors. The two companies will pool the3ir knowledge and resources in the area of electric vehicles to become the worlds largest electric vehicle manufacturer. New factories will be built in both India and Norway.

official election results

For Stortinget elections 2009:

18,7% Labour
20,4% Progress Party
26,6% Socialist Left
7,1% Conservative
10,4% Left (Liberal)
1,5% Christian Democratic Party
3,1% Centre Party
5,6% Pirate Party
1,5% Red (communist)
4,9% Pensioners Party
0,2% Coast Party

The new government will be announced within a few days.

New government coalition announced

After weeks of negotiations, Norway has finally a new government. The coalition will consist of

Socialist Left Party
Left Party
Centre Party
Pirate Party
Pensioners Party.

Ministerposts will be held by:

Prime Minister: Bård Vegar Solhjell (SL)
Minister of Justice & Police: Audun Lysbakken (SL)
Minister of Defence: Tor Arne Vistnes (PP)
Minister of Infrastructure & Communications: Liv Signe Navarsete (Cent)
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Lars Sponheim (L)
Minister of Research and Higher Education: Tora Aasland (SL)
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development: Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa (SL)
Minister of the Environment and International Development: Erik Solheim (SL)
Minister of Agriculture and Food: Lars Peder Brekk (Cent)
Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion: Trine Skei Grande (L)
Minister of Health and Care Services: Ragnar Dahl (PenP)
Minister of Culture and Church Affairs: Aage Johan Sundvor (PP)
Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs: Trine Skei Grande (L)
Minister of Education: Odd Einar Dørum (L)
Minister of Trade and Industry: Kjellbjørg Lunde (SL)
Minister of Petroleum and Energy: Gunnar Kvassheim (L)
Minister of Children and Equality: Silje Schei Tveitdal (SL)



Norways new Prime Minsiter, and successor to Kristin Halvorsen: Bård Vegar Solhjell.

Interview with the new Prime minister

Dagbladet.no: Thank you for seeing us, Prime Minister.
Bård Vegar Solhjell: Thank you for coming!
D: If we may, we would like to start asking questions right away, for our readers.
B: Eager are we? Yes of course, please do that.
D: Were you surprised by your partys election of you as Party Leader and subsequent nomination to Prime Minister?
B: Oh yes! I was of course minister in the old government, but finding myself in this position is a very unusual feeling. I still feel like the guy who bloggs about Sogndal Football Club.
D: Some have critisized you for having no international experience, what do you wish to say to them?
B: One does not need experience to do the right thing. That is why most politicians start their political careers: They see something that is wrong and that should be fixed. You do not need experience for that i think. Besides, Lars Sponheim of Venstre will do much of the work in that department.
D: This is the first time Sosialitiske Venstre leads the nation, in a rather colourfull coalition i might add. Why did you win the elections?
B: I think the people of Norway were simply fed up with so many parties trying to be mainstream and politicly correct. That, and the infamous "fax-democracy" forced upon us by the EU. People wanted a change, that is also well reflected in the fact that both the Pirateparty and the Pensioners Party being elected into the Stortinget for the first time.
D: How will those two parties affect the coalitions policies?
B: Obviously this government will focus more closely on personal integrity, copyright, patent law, Pensioners welfare and care of the elderly than any previous government has done.
D: I Presume that the presence of the Pirateparty in your government means that we soon will see filesharing and copying on a non-commercial scale be legalized?
B: Ha ha, you may!
D: The nomination of Tor Arne Vistnes as the minsiter of Defence has raised quite a few eyebrows. Could you care to elaborate on this?
B: All in good time. We have a few years to make politics. As we stated before the elections; This government will take a whole new approach on foreign and defence policy.
D: A Direct question: Will the Defence Force be disbanded?
B: A direct Answer: No. But it will not be around in its current shape, size or form.
D: There have been persons within your party that demand that the oil industry should be reduced, so as to promote a more ecofriendly enviroment. This could put Norway in direct conflict with the EU, who gets almost 20% of its energy needs from Norway. Your comments?
B: It is not a official party policy to do that. At least not at this stage.
D: But in the future?
B: Possible is everything. We must monitor what is feasible to do, and what is not.
D: On your personal initiative, the Government rescued car manufacturer Th!nk, and made a deal with Indians manufacturer Tata Motor. Some critisiezed your actions as being futile, especially since the world in in economic recess, and there are plenty of experienced manufacturers around like Porsche, Volkswagen, SAAB, Peugeot, Toyota just to name a few. What is Th!nks future?
B: We actually tried to buy SAAB, but the swedes turned us down. I think the automobile industry has not done enough to convert into ecofriendly production. We have known for decades that climate change is real and that the oil one day will dry up. Some speculate that we might reach peak production in 2015 already. Yet nothing major has happend. Our push for ecofriendly cars is twofold: We want to improve the technology and export it faster than the current schedule. And we want clean cars to be 75% of the norwegian fleet within 10-15 years.
D: Those are bold statements.
B: Yes, but from nothing comes nothing.
D: Do you consider yourself to be an aggresive politician?
B: No, not really. I can be aggresive int he goals i set for my party and for Norway tough.
D: Thank you Prime Minister.

Nobel Peace Prize to Turkey

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 has been awarded to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. His efforts and dedication to bringing peace and unification to Cyprus has been intrsumental in ending a decades-long conflict and also to bring nations closer together. The Norwegian Nobel Committee stated that in general, 2009 has been marked by the international recession, shifting focus from international efforts for peace, prosperity and democracy. Yet Mr. Erdogans efforts clearly show that Peace can be won under any condition, and against all odds.

The newly elected Norwegian Prime Minsiter Bård Vegar Solhjell was the first to congratulate Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Stating that "Mr. Erdogans work was indeed exceptionell, and a role modell for international conflict solution world-wide.".

Minimum wage and pension law

The Government has, after long negotiations amongst coalition partners, introduced a national minimum wage and pension system. The minimum wage will be set to 1550 € per month for full-time employment. The minimum pension will be set to 1350€ per month for those who have worked at last 40 years full employment. This marks the worlds highest minimum wage.

Th!nk expands line-up

Norwegian state-owned company Th!nk has expanded its line-up and announces four new cars! The complete line-up will be:

Th!nk City



The first model originally introduced in time for the Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games in 1994. It has evovled during the years and is today virtually identical to the Indian Tata eNano. This is currently the most succesfull electric vehicle in the world and cmpetitively priced at 9780 €.

Th!nk Open



An open-top version of the classic City car. Introduction during Q2 2010.

Th!nk Ox



This new vehicle is scheduled for introduction next year, in early 2011. It will be the companies first five-seater and it has been in development since 2007. The Ox will be available both as a electric vehicle, or with a biodiesel-engine in cooperation with French automaker Peugeot.

Th!nk Roadster



This is a powerfull biodiesel-powered sportscar built on the Ox. It is planned for introduction in 2013. It is planned to test the vehicle at the 24H Nürburgring race in 2012.

Th!nk SUV



This is a civilian SUV based on the Italian Iveco LMV that Th!nk is manufacturing for the Norwegian Defence Forces. Planned introduction is for Q3 2012.

Government to reform foreign & security policy

The Government has announced that it will present its new foreign & security policy in Q2. Anonymus sources hinted that the Defence Force will undergo dramatic changes, especially the Navy. One political expert said that "A small carrier could be what the navy needs for the future, the old government was not able to introduce one!"


Future norwegian aircraft carrier?

Copyright for private use abolished

As promised during the campaign, the coalition government has today abolished copyright for private use. Norway is the first western nation to do so but we hope that other nations will follow. We have also invited the four persons behind the tracker "The Pirate Bay" to host their server on state-owned Telenor Internet Service Providers net, increasing their capacity several hundred times.

Norway leaves EEA

Norway today announces that it leaves the EEA cooperation, thereby ending the agreements of Schengen and Maastricht with the EU. Minister of Trade and Industry Kjellbjørg Lunde of the Socialist Left stated at a press conference:

Superprison authorized

As part of the new plan to fight crime, the government has authorized the construction of a escape-proof superprison. The prison will be built for maximum security prisoners serving a minimum of 15 years, and will hold a capacity of "several thousend" prisoners. Norway is contemplating a plan where foreign nations possibly could rent cells for extra troublesome prisoners. The Prison is planned to be constructed on Bouvet island.

New Working Time Law

The Government has introduced a new law for the regulation of working time. The new law restricts working time to 32 hours per week, effectivly giving full-time employed citizens a 4-day working week.

Minister of Labour Trine Skei Grande (L) and Minister of Health Ragnar Dahl (PenP) declared at a press conference that: "We firmly believe that our citizens will embrace this new law that gives them more time to spend with their families and close ones, while at the same time making them in effect more productive while actually at work."

Nammo to develop new round

State-owned Ammunitions company NAMMO has recieved an order from the Norwegian Defence Force for the development of a .338 Raufoss Multi-purpose round. This will be similar to the popular .50 Raufoss developed some years ago by NAMMO. The smaller round will still contain both an armourpenetrating core and a highexplosive shell around it. Development cost is projected at around 200 million € and the first rounds to enter service after 2012.

Norway slams dutch racism

Minister of Justice & Police Audun Lysbakken of the socialist left, has in an interview expressed his disgust versus the dutch politician Wilders. Wilders is awaiting trial in the Netherlands, but has continued to agitate against muslims in europe. Lysbakken pointed out that all european nations have a resposibility to stand against racism, in accordance to the European Convention on Human Rights. He was particularly critical to the EU, who has not acted on the matter at all.

All military purchases halted

The Government of Norway has today announced an imidiate and indefinite stop to all military purchases. The controversial move was made in anticipation for the announcement of the planned new policy of the governement for a new Foreign & Security policy. The new policy was to be announced in Q2 this year, but has been postponed until Q3 2010.

Public servants arrested on bribery charges

Several high-level public servants were arreted this morning after Police raided their homes in search of evidence. The public servants are all employed by either the Ministry of Defence or Minsitry of Justice & Police. Details are sketchy at the moment, but it appears that bribes have been paid out to them from at least one foreign weapons company.

Norway takes the Netherlands to court

The Norwegian government today announced their intention to take the Netherlands to court. The European Court on Human Rights will then decide the case.

Minister of Justice & Police Audun Lysbakken said

Record approval rating

Dagbladet.no has made a poll concerning the approval rating of our new prime minister. Bård Vegar Solhjell recieves a record 68,5%, the highest any norwegian prime minister ever has had.

Terrorist plot foiled

Today Jørn Holme, the leader of Politiets Sikkerhets Tjeneste (Police Security Service, PST) announced that PST, in cooperation with Etteretnings Tjenesten (Intelligence Service, E-Tjenesten) and Delta, the Police Special Forces, have apprehended 6 people who are facing charges on terrorism, after one of them posted on an online forum regarding their plan to "Bring the war to the west" and "Remove American presence on Norwegian soil".

While the target remains unknown, an anonymous source within E-Tjenesten reports that there were two planned targets, one of them being the American Embassy, recently erected at Husebyskogen.
Experts have speculated that other targets included Villa otium, the US Ambassador to Norway's current residence.

The same source also says that significant quantities of military grade explosives were confiscated, most likely Comp B or C4, along with AG-3s, a norwegian variant of the german G-3 rifle which was the standard battle rifle for the Norwegian Defense Forces since the mid-60s

More details as they emerge

Norway and Belgium to build a Nuclear Waste Storage Facility

Bouvet Island is a Norwegian island in the South Atlantic Ocean, which holds the questionable title of "most remote island in the world"

Norway and Belgium are now planning to co-finance the worlds most advanced and secure Nuclear Waste Storage facility ever conceived by man, and make it available, at a fee, to the Nuclear Nations of the world.

Work is scheduled to begin in mid-2011, with completion of the facility within 2013.

OOC: Me (as Belgium) and Porrche (as Norway) plotted this during a meeting of ours, which was never finished, so Dax said I could just assume the meeting went well