– “You will take back Norway, little by little.”
Trygve Slagsvold Vedum speaks as widely as possible and fills his fork with fish balls and white sauce.
The finance minister just went shopping and, as all shoppers can attest: when you first fill your bag with a favorite, you tend to want to do more.
Concerned about the luck of the drones
How to buy a house of worship
Vedum then announces that it would like to buy more with the community credit card.
– National control over strategic resources is important to this government, says Vedum.
He takes a bite of the dinner plate in front of him.
Yesterday, Vedum also got a huge beating from Norway. The state buys the second largest private property in the country, Meraker Brug. A forest twice the size of the entire municipality of Oslo is now owned by the state.
SATISFIED: With half-eaten fish balls and a huge part of the Norwegian forest in state hands, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum says he’s very pleased with the day. Photo: Amanda P. Giske / Dagbladet
sea View
– For a centrist party must it be like for a KrF politician to buy a thousand houses of prayer at the expense of the community?
– It’s a big day for the government, yes. The Center Party has always said that we want greater national control over our natural resources. Today we took an important first step.
– A first step? So will there be more?
– Yes, we’re looking. It is important for Norway to own Norway.
– If more Norwegian natural resources should appear, all you have to do is call?
– Yes, it is to ensure greater national control. This government believes it is important, Vedum says.
– What’s on your wish list for Christmas?
– Meraker Brug was still at the top of the list, Vedum smiles.
After crying in the back room: – Hopeless
A blow to Sylvi
It paid NOK 2.65 billion for the huge forest property. Several foreign stakeholders have had to surrender.
– The next goal is for us to change the law so that it is not possible to sell such large properties overseas. It will be public or private Norwegians who will live in and develop such properties, Vedum says.
FRP railed against the price tag yesterday, especially at a time when the state budget is tight and many sectors are undergoing cuts.
– Sylvi Listhaug tried to sell the forest part of Statskog when he ruled. They thought it didn’t matter whether Norway, or a German or a pension fund, had Norwegian assets, says the PS leader.
I was asked to go out
Opens for status acquisition
Vedum puts down the cutlery. He jokes with his advisor that his mood gets worse if his blood sugar gets too low. After all, you must have food. The councilor nods.
– The contrast is great on me, who are often quite cheerful, you know, says Vedum.
It has now been 22 years since Jens Stoltenberg’s government initiated the process of selling the state to several companies. Since then, several governments have jumped on the trend.
But Trygve Slagsvold Vedum warns of a change of course on the eve of dinner.
– The state is open to company formation, or company acquisition, if it is of strategic interest to Norway. This government wants more national control over important assets and will spend money to gain that control if the opportunity presents itself, Vedum says.
