Some good and bad news from Norway

[War Horse]

The Christian Democrats and Venstre (classical liberals of sorts, but rather centrist and environmentally friendly) have NOT been able to form a coalition govt w. the the Conservatives and the Progress Party. The latter being the major impediment, it seems.

The bad news is that we'll now get a Conservative/Progress Party govt. Center right + right wing populists. Quite an experiment for a traditionally Social Democratic country...

It will be a minority govt, though (basically). The Progress Party only got 16,3 % of the vote, the Conservatives got 27 %, and Labour still remains the largest party at plus 30 %.

Oh, and the Greens are actually in Parliament for the first time ever. One rep.

No links available, watching the press conference live just now

[Skittles]

1. not my beloved Norway

keep those conservative bastards under check! They suck the LIFE out of a country.

[Sheepshank]

6. I imagine Norwegian Policitcal Conservatives are not like our Ted Cruz or Mike Lee

I also imagine that publically beneficial/Socialist policies in place are not about to get reversed.

[Quantess]

2. What does it mean to be a right wing party in Norway?

I am assuming they are nationalists (stricter immigration policy) who also want lower taxes.
What do Norwegian right wingers get wingnutty about?

[TrogL]

3. Immigration

[War Horse]

5. That's a huge part of it, yes

[Quantess]

8. Anything else?

Or are they just totally obsessed with stamping out the rise of multiculturalism?

[War Horse]

11. Toll roads

No, I'm not kidding. I'll happily give them that, though.

Care for the elderly is a major issue. Health care as well. It basically works well, but of course it fails at times. Which we all agree on. It's just that they want hyper privatization - paid for by the govt. in most cases. Did I mention that they are far right populists?

But immigration remains a central issue.

[pampango]

9. "Its main declared goal is a strong reduction in taxes and government intervention."

Not that different from our tea party types.

The Progress Party currently regards itself to be a "libertarian people's party", and its ideology to be libertarian. The party identifies itself in the preamble of its platform as a libertarian party, built on Norwegian and Western traditions and cultural heritage, with a basis in a Christian understanding of life and humanist values. Its main declared goal is a strong reduction in taxes and government intervention

The core issues for the party revolve around immigration, crime, foreign aid, the elderly and social security in regards to health and care for the elderly. The party is regarded as having policies on the right in most of these cases, both fiscally and socially, though in some cases, like care for the elderly, the policy is regarded as being on the left.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_Party_(Norway)#Ideology

They are for severely limiting immigration, a "law and order" approach to crime and a big reduction in the current high amount of foreign aid Norway gives - all policies that would go over well at most tea party meetings.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Yay for the Greens, though! Who will they caucus with, if it works that way over there?

[War Horse]

7. Close enough ;)

I'd guess Venstre (impossible to translate, as it literally means 'Left', although they are slightly center right in our context) and the Socialists, I guess.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Sounds like a good group to work together. :^)

[Dawson Leery]

10. Any highly controversial legislation has little chance to pass then.

[MoonRiver]

13. WHEN is Norway going to stop whaling?

I boycott everything from that country until and unless they stop this barbaric practice.