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A new Norwegian government

Today Jens Stoltenberg presented his new administration, his second administration, 10 women and 10 men. I mostly curios on two, Trond Giske becomes Minister of Trade and Industry and Kristin Halvorsen will be the Minister of Education and Research.

They have a lot of challenges ahead, especially in those two areas and it will be exciting too see how those two will handle their new responsibilities. It’s not doubt that they are two of the most profiled and ‘doer’-oriented politicians we have in Norway today.

Challanges ahead

Norway’s red-green government did win the elections on Monday, winning 86 seats to the oppositions 83 seats. Venstre fell out of the parliament and KrF, together with Senterpartiet stayed somewhere around the six present of votes.
The results indicated Norway would continue to buck a trend that has seen center-right blocs take power in its Nordic neighbors Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
But the challenges are ahead for the new government – Lofoten/Vesterålen, health care, immigration – Jens Stoltenberg has a lot to prove in the forthcoming four years!

The discussion is heating up

It has been a busy couple of weeks, back at work, writing a lot about the digital possibilities out there, commented a lot in VG about the politicians use of social media, been in a discussion on TV2Nyhetskanalen together with @jilltxt and @SVHeikki on the same matter – and trying to follow the discussions in the media about the forthcoming election.
So, what can I say, more than I will post short ones for the next month…
Todays theme: The intensity on Twitter! And I feel it actually is, the closer we get to the elections, the higher people intend too shout. Is it a good thing, not really, but on the positive side, there is a lot too be said and people are really engaged in politics. Should we go for oil up North, should Siv Jensen be prime minister, should Jens Stoltenberg just lead a government of Arbeiderpartiet if the opposition can’t agree??
Just hook up on Twitter and follow the heat, it’s fun and you will always pick up something. There are a lot of good people with good ideas out there!

The Norwegian government and Aker

Yet again, the Red/Green coaliation shows all the signs of making political harakiri, this time the Aker-case. The oppsition have happy days, poundering the message that the Government shouldn’t be involved in business, the way we do here in Norway, which means highly imvolvmeny from the state in different areas, especially related towards oil/energy and finance.
Brustad_Stoltenberg
Kjell Inge Røkke has done a deal which is great for him, and now the Governments representative Berit Kjøll is doing what she can to try to convince us that she has been fooled. Trust me, this thing has just started, and somebodys gonna’ fall!

The Norwegian Fortune-Teller

It’s amazing, one of the more profiled representatives in the Norwegian congress, Ms Saera Kahn, has decided to resign because of the calling to some fortune tellers, to a cost of approx. 40 000 NOK the last quarter.
Since she is representing Arbeiderpartiet and the Government – and since they are doing a lot of strange this, I really could understand why she wants to know about the future! Here is a link in Norwegian from todays paper.

Shame on Jens Stoltenberg, Arbeiderpartiet and Senterpartiet!

Faced with record numbers of refugees seeking asylum in Norway, the government on Wednesday announced moves to make it harder for them to stay in the country.
Running away from it’s responsibilities in this very delicate and emotional matter I really don’t know how this Government will face it’s voters. I’m very curious to see Jonas Gahr Støre defending this
on the international arena…
The reason for this is, I think, a very desperate way on staggering the FRP increase in the polls, and somehow still stay in power at the next election 2009.
To more points; there are today something like 4 millions refugees in the world, and 15000 comes to Norway. Well, shouldn’t the richest country in the world have the financial means to taking care of people in need?
And the second one which is more on the side: the political differences in Norway is no longer between the Government and the opposition, it’s within the Government itself!