An EU energy law dispute fractured the coalition beyond repair.
The Norwegian government collapsed Thursday after the Euroskeptic Centre Party left the two-party coalition after weeks of brawling over the adoption of three EU energy directives, local media reported.
Their exit leaves Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s center-left Labour Party to govern on its own for the first time in 25 years.
Norway, while not part of the EU, has to adopt the bloc’s laws as a member of the European Economic Area (EEA). The agrarian Centre Party is strongly against the EEA agreement, which gives Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein access to the EU’s internal market.
Centre Party leader and Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum said he could not accept the directives in the EU’s fourth clean energy package, which aims to increase renewable energy and encourage more energy-efficient infrastructure construction.
“We say that enough is enough, this is the limit. We are doing this to change Norwegian electricity policy and create a dynamic where we can take steps that can give us lower and stable electricity prices in Norway, and that we should not give up more power to the EU,” said Vedum.
The Labour Party said it is possible to introduce parts of the package without affecting Norway’s sovereignty.
Since the discovery of North Sea oil in 1969, Norway’s abundant energy resources have been the cornerstone of the country’s transformation into one of Europe’s wealthiest nations.
The Norwegian government has played a central role in managing this wealth. It holds a 67 percent majority stake in Equinor, the national oil company, which generates significant profits during periods of high prices, boosting government dividends.
