On Saturday, Polish Prime Minister Meteusz Morawiecki attended a question-and-answer session during the National Independence Dialogue Congress.
Among other things, he criticized Norway. For the Prime Minister, Norway means indirectly benefiting from Russia’s war against Ukraine.
– The oil and gas profits of a small country of five million which Norway will exceed one hundred million euros, the Prime Minister said according to TVN24.
– Ladies and gentlemen, young people, something is wrong. Write to your young friends in Norway. They should share this gigantic surplus, Morawiecki continued.
Indirect nutrition
The Polish Prime Minister does not think Norway’s profits are fair.
– The war in Ukraine is not Norway’s fault. But it is an indirect nourishment of what happens during the war, caused by Putin.
Morawiecki says Poland is not dependent on a share of the profits.
– But for Ukraine. They are the ones most affected by this war.
TV 2 has tried to get a comment from Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. SMK refers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They have not yet responded to our inquiries.
The value of natural gas exports ended at NOK 475.8 billion in 2021. This is more than a quadrupling from the previous year, and by far the highest export value ever, according to SSB.
The export value of crude oil increased from 207.8 billion in 2020 to 349.6 billion in 2021.
And as the situation has developed in Europe in 2022, it is therefore expected that profits will only continue to increase.
In March wrote Today’s business that Norway’s oil and gas revenues in 2022 could be NOK 1,750 billion – six times higher than what the government had previously estimated.
– Comes out best
Editor in Montel and expert on electricity and energy, Gert Ove Mollestad tells TV 2 that Poland is basically right.
– Norway is one of the countries that gets the best out of what is happening in Ukraine now, paradoxically enough. The billions are flooding into the Norwegian treasury, he says.
Mollestad therefore believes it will be a moral question about what Norway will do with the huge profit.
– GIANT SURPLUS: Billions are flooding into the Norwegian treasury as a result of the war in Ukraine, says editor in Montel Gert Ove Mollestad. Photo: Martin Fønnebø / TV 2
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– Norway will benefit from this as long as the war lasts, and perhaps longer because the EU has decided to phase out the use of Russian energy. We have received this for free in a way, and have not done anything new to get this extra money. So you can ask yourself if it is deserved, he says.
– Lots of money for few people
Despite the fact that Norway makes extremely good money from exporting oil and gas, Mollestad emphasizes that there is a screaming need for gas in Europe.
– They should be happy that Norway is able to maintain a high supply of oil and gas. But the flip side of the coin is that Norway’s income will be record high, he says and adds:
– We are only five million people in this country, so there is a lot of money for quite a few people. Norway’s revenues are now at a level that had not been anticipated.
The editor is aware that if there is one time when Norway has to spend extra oil money to spend, it is now.
– Ukraine is on fire. So it seems pretty obvious that we should use some of this profit to give directly there, says Mollestad.
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