Tanzanian Association Oslo

Coalition presents new

political platform

Norway's three-party coalition government, which was returned to power in last month's election, has presented their new political platform for the next four-year period, calling it the most radical in Europe.

Labour Party prime minister Jens Stoltenberg opened by saying that this platform was historic, and that it would change Norwegian politics.

He also praised the climate of the two weeks of intense negotiations, which had often continued into the night, and stressed that the result was a product of the ability of the three parties to find a common solution to key issues.

However, most observers agree that the Labour Party has clearly come out in fron on several of the issues they had expected to disagree on. One reason for this is the fact that Labour gained seats in the election while the Socialist Left Party (SV) suffered a set-back.

Finance Minister and Socialist Left leader Kristin Halvorsen brought this into the open when she admitted that the new and stricter immigration and asylum policy is move in the opposite direction of what SV had wanted. But, as she pointed out, voters had turned down SV's more liberal policy. However, she said, SV had decided to stay a part of the government, in order to influence in the future.

The Prime Minister had made it clear that a tghtening-up of Norwegian asylum regulations was needed, in order to "take better care of those who aare aalready here". He said that those who need asylum for protection would still get it, but that regulations for asylum for humanitarian reasons would be more difficult to obtain. He also stressed that those who were denied asylum and those who came seeking asylum withouth grounds, or committed crimes in Norway would be held in detention centers while waiting to be sent back to the country where they came from.

Stoltenberg said the aim was to reduce the increasing stream of asylum seekers to Norway.

Liv Signe Navarsete, leader of the third coalition party, the Agrarian Center Party (SP), said she was satisfied that the new platform would improve the financial situation of the municipalities. She also believed it gave importance to further wealth creation in the entire nation, not just the urban areas. Navarsete also pointed to the plans for heavy investments in roads and public transport and renewable energy, as well as providing better care for the elderly.

The opposition was not impressed by the document: Progress Party leader Siv Jensen described it as "many words but no action", and underlined tha she saw nothing in the document that would improve the situation within health care and care for the elderly. She was also disappointed in the stricter asylum policy:

- They have tried to create an impression of becoming more tough in their asylum policy. But this is not a tightening-up at all, Jensen said.

Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg also said that she was not impressed by the government's policy document:

- They have avoided the major challenges and consentrated on the smaller key issues for the individual party. This does not put Norway on a new course, Solberg said.

Leader for the Christian Democrats, Dagfinn Hoeybraaten says the big losers in the new program are the families and the environment.

The coalition has also been criticised for not having taken a clear stand on the issue of wheter or not to open for oil exploration off Lofoten. Labour is in favour, but says a decision will have to wait "until all the facts are on the table." SV in particular is opposed drilling for oil and gas in these vulnerable waters.

Source: NRK/Aftenposten/Norway Post