Norwegian Price & Power Support: Ap-Peak’s Center Party Hesitation

ARENDAL (Nettavisen): In this interview, Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap) says for the first time that the Labor Party believes that the Labor Party believes the Center Party was the obstacle in government to get a better power support scheme in Norway.

For three long years of high electricity prices, the government stated that the power support – often referred to as “Europe’s generous” – was good enough.

However, during a few hectic weeks in January when the Center Party threatened to leave government because of the EEA directives, the Labor Party came up with the idea of the Norwegian award in government.

The solution was presented to the public by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of Energy Terje Aasland on Friday 31 January – while Trygve Slagsvold Vedum was still finance minister.

Nettavisen recently revealed that the Norwegian people have paid NOK 220 billion more – After power support – In electricity over the last four years compared to historical prices.

The enormous value transfer from the private to the public as a result of higher electricity prices was the starting point for Nettavisen’s interview with Terje Aasland.

Center Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum believes Terje Aasland makes a number of wrong claims in the interview and will respond to this on a later occasion.

Ap-Aasland:-We were alone

– The Norwegian price is probably an admission that the power support scheme has not been good enough. Do you agree?

– Yes, we have always developed the power support and come up with new ideas, says Terje Aasland.

– Why did it take three years to come up with this idea of the Norwegian award, and why did it come just when the Center Party threatened to leave the government?

– It’s not hard to understand.

– Because?

– Then we were alone. We could decide that we wanted a Norwegian price, says Aasland.

– Did you not suggest the Norwegian award for Trygve Slagsvold Vedum?

– He didn’t want it. You know what the answer to it was, says Terje Aasland, pointing out that the Center Party went out of government. We were introduced to the Norwegian award on the basis that we wanted to proceed with a development of the electricity support scheme to provide security and predictability for people.

– Surely the Center Party did not disagree with the Norwegian award internally in the government?

– the The Labor Party Launched it on Friday, there was something we wanted to do for Norwegian electricity customers, says Aasland.

At the press conference where Støre and Aasland launched the Norwegian award, they used the wording “The Labor Party in Government” and “The Labor Party as a governance party”.

– Is your story that it was the Center Party who held back and is the reason why there was no better support scheme before?

– The Center Party knew we were working on this, but we wanted to have the security for Norwegian electricity customers and launched the solution we thought was right.

Nettavisen reveals: The Norwegian power shock: 220 billion more expensive

Rejects Center Party negotiations

– Vedum tells us that you and he sat in a meeting where your proposal was first 50 øre plus VAT and then it was negotiated down to 40 cents. If the Center Party was so much against the Norwegian award, how could they sit and negotiate the price down in government?

– I do not know what Trygve has said there.

– Is it wrong?

– I don’t know it.

– You sat in that meeting?

– I do not know that the Center Party has done anything like that.

– So you haven’t been negotiating the Norwegian award with the Center Party?

– I do not know what Trygve says in relation to it. We launched Norwegian prices – 40 øre plus VAT – and it has been our entrance to it. I am very pleased that the Center Party has supported it in the Storting with SV and Red. That means we have a majority for it now. The danger is that it is blown off with a bourgeois government.

Vedum’s adviser responds to Aasland’s claims at the bottom of this case.

– SP not eager for power support

– What does it mean when you say you don’t know it?

– It means I don’t know it.

– You were not present in the room and have not heard of this before?

– Haha, no. I have never heard that the Center Party has negotiated on this, no.

– But your history now is that the Center Party has been a slow down to government to get something done with electricity prices?

– The Center Party is not those who have been most eager for power support, is what I say.

– And neither Norwegian prices nor other solutions?

– You, I do not know what the Center Party thinks about the Norwegian price other than that they voted for the solution in the Storting.

Unsure? Take Nettavisen’s Electionomat

SP: – We negotiated the price

Nettavisen has been in contact with Trygve Slagsvold Vedum after the interview with Terje Aasland.

Vedum’s adviser, Per Martin Sandtrøen, states that the launch of the Norwegian award internally in government took place in a meeting between Terje Aasland and two of Vedum’s secretaries of state – both from the Center Party. That is true that Vedum does not self Was present at the meeting, but that two of his closest advisers were and represented Vedum in the meeting.

Vedum’s adviser also states that Vedum had several meetings with Prime Minister and Ap leader Jonas Gahr Støre about the case during the same period. It was Støre and Aasland who launched the Norwegian award.

Sandtrøen is unaware of Terje Aasland’s claim that the Center Party was not negotiating the Norwegian award in government, since Vedum’s two secretaries of state did this – in addition to the fact that there was a theme in meetings between Støre and Vedum directly.

The Center Party signaled that one was positive to everything that could reduce the electricity price in government, points out Sandtrøen, who also confirms that the price level on the Norwegian price went down from 50 to 40 øre in collaboration with the Labor Party.