Opposition parties MDG, SV, Rødt, and Ap opposed the fast-track treatment and accused Senterpartiet of breaking the budget agreement. MDG's Ingrid Liland called the tax cut 'short-sighted and climate-hostile'. According to NRK, Liland described the move as a breach of the agreement and said it cuts the price of diesel and petrol, which is far from what MDG wants to go to the election on.
SV's Kirsti Bergstø accused Vedum of lying and breaking the agreement, calling Senterpartiet an 'unpredictable and unreliable partner'. According to Adresseavisen, Bergstø described Vedum as using lies and breach of contract as a political working method. Ap's Tuva Moflag acknowledged that the cooperation is 'challenging' but expressed hope that the red-green coalition will continue.
If the Center Party votes for the Conservative Party's proposal and forces the government to create a large hole in this year's state budget, then it is an obvious breach of the budget agreement.
According to NRK, Moflag described that all parties want the Labor Party to continue in government with Jonas Gahr Støre as prime minister. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated that he believes the red-green cooperation will survive the crisis. According to NRK, Støre described that there is a desire to keep the majority together.
Senterpartiet defends the tax cut as necessary due to the war in Ukraine, which has led to increased oil prices and fuel prices in Norway, with diesel prices exceeding 30 kroner per liter. Senterpartiet's Bjørn Arild Gram said the tax cut was necessary and expressed disappointment that budget partners did not support it. According to NRK Nyheter, Gram described the measure as completely necessary and said he was disappointed that budget partners did not see the need to take new action when war broke out.
Right now, there is a race to the bottom to weaken climate policy in the Storting. It is out of the question for MDG to agree to a revised national budget with weakened climate policy.
Vedum said the criticism from other parties does not affect him much; he is more impressed by local entrepreneurs struggling with costs. According to Adresseavisen, Vedum described that the criticism makes less of an impression than speaking with a local entrepreneur who wondered if he could continue if costs don't come down. Vedum stated that the party will present its own proposals during the debate tomorrow.
Ap will submit its own proposal asking the government to return with measures against high living costs in the revised national budget. The budget agreement from December states that parties commit not to form other majorities that have significant budgetary consequences. Senterpartiet claims the measure was necessary due to unforeseen war in Ukraine and does not consider it a breach, while opposition parties argue it is a clear violation.
I hope that the Labor Party and the Center Party have a plan for how we can rebuild trust, but I find it difficult to see how that will happen.
The future of the red-green coalition remains uncertain as the parties navigate the fallout.
The Center Party not only broke the agreement, they cut the price of diesel and petrol, which is far from what MDG actually wants to go to the election on.
Here, people have been tricked into believing that it is motorists first and foremost who need help in times of high prices, but everyone needs help, and we must do it in a way that does not destroy climate policy.
All parties have clearly expressed that they want the Labor Party to continue in government and have Jonas Gahr Støre as prime minister, and that is the starting point for my work.
But it is clear that when a party finds a majority elsewhere in the Storting with a large price tag, it creates some challenges for a cooperation, there is no doubt about that.
We have spoken thoroughly with the party leaders over Easter, and my impression is that there is a desire to keep this majority together.
I think we must work to see that it is in our common interest to stand together on such issues, because we will not be winners in the long run by breaking the cooperation.
This is a meeting that I think we would have had anyway to discuss the timeline and process related to the revised national budget. So I don't think the meeting is more serious than that.
The Center Party is a completely unpredictable and unreliable agreement partner. What they have done is very serious.
Vedum uses lies and breach of contract as a political working method. You cannot sign a binding agreement with several other parties one day and in the first turn betray the community you have taken responsibility together with.
I will ask Trygve Slagsvold Vedum to use the Easter holiday to think through and clarify whether he wants Sylvi Listhaug as prime minister or whether he still wants a red-green cooperation.
It shows, at least, that there was good room in the Norwegian economy to cut fuel costs.
It was a completely necessary measure. Actually, I am disappointed that our budget partners were not with us and saw the need to take new action when war broke out, with the consequences it has for family finances and businesses.