Diversi politici locali vogliono che la Norvegia entri nell’UE

In a survey conducted by NorgesBarometeret, one in four municipal representatives in Norway responded that they have changed their minds on the issue of the EU.

The Norwegian Barometer has asked just over 1,300 municipal council representatives the following questions: Regardless of Norwegian membership, do you think it is good or bad for Europe that the EU exists?

Two-thirds think the EU is good, only 17 percent think it is bad.

But also several who were previously against Norwegian EU membership have now changed their position.

When asked “Have you changed your position on Norwegian EU membership in the last 5 years?”, just over 1 in 4 said they had changed their mind, most of them saying “Yes”, followed by “Don’t know” and the fewest saying “No”. It is in the Labour Party that the majority have changed their position and there is a massive movement in the direction of “Yes”.

Previously, there was a clear No majority among APS local politicians. Now there is a solid Yes majority. I think this is a sign that the EU debate will return in full force in Norway. The change in the Labour Party shows that there is a nascent EU debate. There is no doubt about that, says CEO of NorgesBarometeret, Øystein HS Moen, to Dagsavisen.

This is what the grassroots in Municipality Norway think. They are the ones who make statements to municipal and county meetings. What is also noteworthy is that there is a clear Yes majority in municipalities with over 20,000 inhabitants.

Several people among SV and MDG have also changed their minds.
– Those who have changed their attitude the least are those under 30 and those over 70. It is in the 30–40 age group that most people have changed their opinion. And women have changed their position to a greater extent than men, says Moen.

But even though more people are positive about the EU, the majority against it is still the largest.
– There is still a no majority, but a strong movement in the direction of yes, compared to the survey from December 2024 , says Moen.
If there were an EU referendum today, 49 percent of municipal representatives in Eastern Norway would have voted yes, while 36 percent of municipal representatives in Northern Norway would have voted yes.
The change is particularly large among the Labor Party’s representatives. They have gone from no to yes. In December 24, 40 percent of APS respondents answered yes, in January this year 56 percent answered yes, says Moen.
– Only among respondents from the Red Party and the Progress Party is there a majority who believe that the EU is bad for Europe, and there is a majority that the EU is good for Europe in all subgroups, such as geography, gender, age and municipality size.

Geographically, the highest number of people in Central Norway and Southern Norway say that the EU is good for Europe. Here, 70 percent believe that it is good that the EU exists. Closely followed by Eastern Norway with 69 percent.
The lowest number is in Western Norway with 64 percent, and Northern Norway with 65 percent.
Broken down by county, Oslo is most positive about the existence of the EU, with 79 percent. Vestland County is most negative with 62 percent.

Kristiansand Ap decided at its annual meeting last weekend that they want Norway to join the EU. Something Stavanger Ap has also advocated.
– It was not an overwhelming majority, but it was a majority, group leader in Kristiansand Ap, Kenneth Mørk, tells Dagsavisen.
– We respect and recognize the majority, but there are still divided opinions about the EU among us.
– What do you think the fact that more and more people in the Labour Party are changing their minds and want Norway to join the EU means for the debate?
– I understand that many have been lukewarm about taking up the debate. Because we know that it is a debate that can divide more than it unites. We see that here, and we see that among people, that this is something people are very, very divided in their views on. And then it is perhaps not now in times of crisis and such that one would have wanted to take up that debate. But at the same time, it is important that one takes up the debate on a factual basis, so that is exactly what I wholeheartedly support. That one gets a thorough investigation, and that one gets a thorough knowledge base that one can relate to, then one does not have to just take it on gut feelings, says Mørk. He believes the times we live in have influenced more people to view the EU positively.

The world we wake up to today is not the same as the world we woke up to yesterday. So there are so many things happening, especially across the pond with Trump and various warmongers to the east.
– I think it’s a sign that people are insecure and are looking more for security. Have a community, don’t stand completely alone, says Mørk.
– What is the way forward for you now?
– We will take this forward to our county branch. We do not have any authority locally, and then we will see what happens in the county branch, and whether it is something that the Agder Labor Party should take forward to the national board and the central board, says Kenneth Mørk.

Norwegian people: Im gonna stop you right there

Nooooo we will have too many gold medals !

Yes, we should join, imo.

No, we won’t anytime soon, as a pretty solid majority is against it, unfortunately.

None of these articles are grounded in any kind of significant movement on the issue in Norway, mostly just wishful thinking from people who don’t know the situation tagged onto a pretty insignificant bit of “news” like this one.