BTN NORWEGIAN POLITICS 2007 HEADLINES ONLY

BEHIND THE NEWS NORWEGIAN POLITICS (BTNN) - BACK ISSUES 2007
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N303	Monday, 12 November, 2007 Good Try!	Government Proposes Amendments to Hydro Power Tax NOK 280 Mill of Increased Annual Revenue Claims it Will Boost Investment Full Recovery of Deficits in Resource Rent Tax Smaller Plants to Pay Resource Rent Tax Tax Rate Increased by 3% Removal of Risk Compensation State Subsidies Included in Tax Base Still No Allowance for Materiality But the Proposal is Probably Already Dead…
N302	Wednesday, 7 November, 2007 Constitution under Attack	Retroactive Tax Legislation against Shipping Companies Government Wants Parliament to Redefine Constitution Denies Opposition Independent Legal Study Legal Experts to Hearings instead Industry's Legal Advisors: Proposal Unconstitutional Retroactivity up to 11 Years Opposition: Dangerous as new Precedent Reduced Protection against Arbitrary Power Use
N301	Monday, 22 October, 2007 Raising the Stake	SV Sacks Scapegoats Broadens Own Political Range in Government Changes in Ministerial Structure Required Environment: Activist with Chaperon Research & Education: Left-Leaning Old-Timer Cicero CEO Joins SV Leader in Warning against Green Activists First First-Generation Norwegian to Government Progress Party Again Reveals Streak of Intolerance
N299/300	Tuesday, 16 October, 2007 From 2007 to 2009	Long-Term Trends Favour "Right", "Growth" Red-Green Majority Unlikely to Hold in 2009 Loss of Majority Will Force SV Out of Government Labour/Centre/Christian Coalition Most Likely Other Scenarios Produce Non-Socialist Coalitions Require Strong Swings for Non-Socialists Non-Socialists Grow More in Surveys than Elections Indicating a Non-Socialist Reserve? How Can They Bring Reservists to Election Booth? Conservatives Must Learn how to Win Final Campaign Progress Party Needs to Make Voters Feel Safe Adjusting to SV Likely to Cause Labour Loss Most Governments in Office Experience Erosion Most Likely Related to Economic Performance Erosion Unevenly Distributed among Coalition Partners Progress Party Spending Lure Theory Not Supported No Trace of "Angry Green" Voters
N298	Tuesday, 25 September, 2007 Compromise or Rematch?	Government Refuses to Move on Shipping Tax Silent on Asset Value Assessment Non-Socialists Likely to Unite against Retroactive Tax Compromise Solutions Suggested Or Should They Aim at Rematch after 2009? Good Campaign Issue for Non-Socialists Focus on Cluster Policy with Petroleum, Fish Farming
N297	Sunday, 16 September, 2007 Less Red, Less Green	Socialist Left Party (SV) Cut to Half in Local Elections Non-Socialist Majority if Election Had Been for Parliament Voters Both Less Green and Less Red 12.5% Swing for "Business Friendly" Parties 8.5% Swing for "Petroleum Friendly" Parties Trends Even Stronger in the North Very Strong Increase for "Petroleum Friendly" in Lofoten/Vesterålen SV Believes in "More of the Same" Demands More Power for Fewer Votes How Will Election Influence PM's Strategy?
N296	Wednesday, 5 September, 2007 Backstage Bartering II	Can We Have a Monopoly on Backstage Bartering?
N295	Tuesday, 4 September, 2007 Backstage Bartering I	Wallenberg Group Offers Kickbacks for Fighter Plane Deal Tempts Red-Greens with Cash for Energy, Climate Projects Mysterious Link to Joint Project Group SV Politician Acting as Liaison New Monumental Prestige Project Prematurely Blown by Dagbladet? Pre-empting Democratic Decision on Security Strategy? Further Consequences for Industry, Energy Policy?
N294	Thursday, 30 August, 2007 Phantom Debts	New Shipping Tax System Possibly in State Budget Probably Aligned to European System Deferred Taxes Political Dilemma PM Says "Debts" Will Not be Cancelled Could Be Transferred to New Tax Regime Politicians Looking for Middle Solutions Negotiated Disengagement a Better Option?
N293	Tuesday, 28 August, 2007 Globetrotters	Huge Benefits from Globalization Norway May Benefit More than OECD Works through Terms of Trade, Immigration, Capital Export Cluster Effects Protect Competition Exposed Sector Requires Conscious Cluster Support Policies Challenges for Regional Policy, Distribution Radical Deviations from Current Planning Scenario What Are the Implications for Norway's Budget Dilemma?
N292	Wednesday, 22 August, 2007 Depressed Europeans	Why Do Europeans Work 30% Less than Americans? Macroeconomic Labour Supply Research Adds New Dimension May Help Norway Solve Future State Budget Dilemma European Leisure Preference Theory Discarded Structural Differences Highlighted Taxes, Welfare Main Explanations for Work Deficit Non-Market Work Deducts from Utility Labour Supply Response to Tax May Be Higher than Earlier Believed
N291	Tuesday, 17 July, 2007 Reality Check III	Costs of Efficient Climate Policies to Live with Insurance Premium against Cooling Not Included Exaggerations More Dangerous Crowding-Out Risk for Other Decisions Risk for Reputation of Science Risk for Fears for the Future Indoctrination of Children Independent Value of Having Policies Settled
N290	Friday, 13 July, 2007 Reality Check II	Opposition, Greens Pushing for More No Broad Political Agreement Likely IPCC's Attribution to Human Causes Resembles Circular Argument Alternative Solar Impact Hypothesis Attacking and Being Attacked Uncertainty Represents Major Commercial Risk
N289	Wednesday, 11 July, 2007 Reality Check I	Government Meets Reality on Climate Policies Radical Targets, Moderate Means Specific Policies to Steer Domestic Share of Cuts Mortgaging Pension Fund against Carbon Cuts Including Forests Most Sensible Feature Onshore Wind Power, Hydrogen Moving into Background
N288	Thursday, 7 June, 2007 National Champions	Are National Champions Beneficial? Does Innovation Theory Give a Different Answer?
N287	Wednesday, 16 May, 2007 Rent Seekers?	Lobby Group Allegedly Inspired Finance Centre Idea Norsk Investorforum Promoter of Innovation Theory Specialities Public Sector, Fish Farming, Tourism Strong Emphasize on Financial Support from State Many Ideas Reflected in Labour Document Accused of Being "Rent Seekers" Raises Vital Issues of Defining Innovation Theory
N286	Monday, 14 May, 2007 Finance Centre?	Labour Left: Use Capital as Industrial Resource Supports Idea of Oslo as a Financial Centre Wants Pension Fund Managers in Norway Rejected by Government, Central Bank Comparison with Petroleum Cluster Misleading Strategy Should Look to Niche Markets
N285	Tuesday, 27 March, 2007 Forestry for Climate	Forest Management Can Abate Climate Problem Former Minister of Agriculture Suggests New Strategy Forests Grow When Economies Grow Civilization Creates its Own Negative CO2 Feed-Back Other Climate Policies Could Enhance Deforestation and Threaten Bio Diversity
N284	Monday, 12 March, 2007 Post Valla	LO Leader Forced to Resign Moderate from Private Sector Taking Over New Power Struggle Public Vs Private Ties to Labour May Weaken Could Reduce Labour's Financial Advantage
N283	Monday, 29 January, 2007 Crumbling Rule	SSB Runs Macro Study on Progress Party Budget Finds No Dramatic Effects Marginally Lower Interest Rate Most Likely Some Appreciation of NOK Confirms Effects Depend on How Funds are Spent Secondary Dynamic Effects not Fully Covered Harder to Defend "Action Rule" Better to Make Use of the Wider Freedom of Action Indicated Other Objections to Progress Party Budgeting Still Valid
N282	Friday, 19 January, 2007 Governance Lessons	Government Power as Owner Must Be Restricted Tie Government to Its Own State Ownership Policy Create Safeguards Against "Offers They Can't Refuse" Rumours of Impending Statoil Acquisition of DNO Illustrates Limited Validity of PM's New Entrants Argument Dangerous Combination: National Anchoring and Non-Competition Strategy to Avoid State Discount Needed