The march against the EU is becoming increasingly clear. On Friday, Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir said that it may be possible to bring forward the referendum on Icelandic membership. The referendum is scheduled for 2027, but she would not say when. The Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, told NRK’s Brussels correspondent that it is possible to simplify and accelerate membership for countries such as Iceland and Norway.
If Iceland joins, Norway will be left with Liechtenstein in the EEA.
There is clearly a push for membership in both countries, but Norway is struggling with the stubbornness of the population. Ap in particular is struggling with division. Putting membership on the map may be condemning itself to electoral defeat.
But the direction is becoming increasingly clear. Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre now says he has become a yes man.
From being a member of Youth Against the EU, Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre (Ap) has now switched to the yes side and is in favour of Norwegian EU membership.
“Yes. My principled view is that I’m in favour of Norwegian EU membership,” Vestre told Dagens Næringsliv.
He has been a member of Youth Against the EU and admits that he has been both sceptical and critical of the union. In 2023, Vestre told E24 that he had gone from “no” to sceptical, and now he has taken the plunge into the “yes” camp.
“I’ve been thinking for a long time now. I’ve been unsure, looked at the pros and cons, but I’ve come to a principled yes.
He believes Norway is vulnerable outside the EU. “The EEA agreement is very important, but it doesn’t cover everything,” he emphasises.
“We are in a vulnerable situation when we have to negotiate each time to be included in things we obviously benefit from. We wouldn’t have to do that if we were involved,” he says.
He also believes that the EU has changed fundamentally since he was a member of Youth Against the EU. “Back then there were 15 member states, now there are 27,” he points out.
“It’s the world’s largest single market. And when our values such as freedom, peace, democracy, freedom of expression, tolerance and human rights are under pressure in many parts of the world, I think it’s important to hold on to the European community of values.”
.Some talking points recur: Vulnerability is a recurring theme that should not be disputed.
The values are self-referential: You stand for democracy and freedom, and it doesn’t matter if the practice is completely different.
The words trump reality.