The five red-green parties in Norway’s Storting began formal negotiations on the 2027 state budget on Friday, November 6, with Labour’s Tuva Moflag leading talks toward an official deadline of November 20, Dagbladet reported. The budget chapters themselves are not scheduled for a vote until December 14, and without an approved budget the Norwegian state halts operations on January 1.
The talks opened in the Storting’s council chamber at 10 a.m. Friday with Labour, the Center Party, the Socialist Left Party (SV), the Red Party (Rødt) and the Green Party (MDG) each presenting demands that cut against one another. Jens Stoltenberg’s government has proposed drawing 608 billion kroner from the Oil Fund to cover the budget, a figure that Dagbladet described as staggering by foreign standards but a point of contention domestically because the parties disagree on how the money should be spent and taxed.
Fuel Taxes and Climate Levies Set the First Fault Line
The sharpest clash involves fuel taxes. The Center Party, led in negotiations by Bjørn Arild Gram, has set an ultimatum demanding lower fuel taxes in the first half of the year, a move that Dagbladet noted costs nine billion kroner and directly conflicts with SV and MDG, which want emissions cut and climate levies raised. MDG’s lead negotiator Oda Indgaard said ahead of the talks that heavy conversations lay ahead because the party needs cuts in climate and gas emissions, while SV’s Marthe Hammer told NRK that Labour had put on a “straitjacket” of a tax level that prevents the government from taxing the wealthiest more to fund climate measures.
Rødt’s Accidentally Revealed Demands Target Power Cables and Data Centers
As negotiators entered the first meeting, Rødt’s finance spokesman Mímir Kristjánsson inadvertently exposed parts of his party’s written demands to reporters, NRK reported. The documents called for a halt in the assessment of power cables to foreign countries, a stop to dumping in the Førdefjord, and a new power-allocation system that would place data centers without societal benefit at the back of the queue. Kristjánsson told NRK he wanted a full stop to all new data center construction in Norway until a licensing system ensures the country does not build too many, and that Norway should not give away power to international tech giants without receiving something in return.
Tax Cuts and Dental Care Divide the Coalition
Labour wants to cut income tax for everyone, while SV, MDG and Rødt want to remove tax breaks for high earners and instead increase relief for middle and low incomes, according to Dagbladet. On dental care, the parties agree only in principle: Labour proposes starting with 29-year-olds, who have good dental health and cost little, while Rødt wants three billion kroner allocated to begin with older people who need better dental health.
Parties Clash over Ukraine Aid Costs
MDG has bid 22 billion kroner above the government’s proposal, mainly for more aid to Ukraine, while SV proposes tax relief, particularly for people with high wealth, and Rødt wants tax increases, according to Dagbladet.
Leaders Pull Strings Behind Closed Doors
While Moflag, Indgaard, Hammer, Kristjánsson and Gram sit at the table, party leaders Jonas Gahr Støre, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum and Kirsti Bergstø direct strategy from behind the scenes, Dagbladet reported. When positions harden, it is customary to bring the party leaders directly into the negotiations. After the first meeting, Moflag said she saw a will among all five parties to reach agreement, and Kristjánsson told NRK he looked forward to tough weeks but believed the parties would end up friends once the tangles were solved.
What Happens Before December 14
The parties have until November 20 to agree on a budget that can then be voted through the Storting by December 14. If no budget passes, the state stops on January 1, a scenario Dagbladet said will not occur. In the meantime, negotiators will sort competing demands through weeks of meetings, with every party needing the others to form a majority: if one party breaks away, the agreement collapses.
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