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POLITICS

Myriad municipalities want to fuse together

A majority of Norway's top local public servants would like the country to fuse some of its more than 400 municipalities to create bigger administrative districts, according to a survey published on Wednesday.

Published: 24 July 2013 16:13 CEST
Myriad municipalities want to fuse together
Oslo city hall. File photo: Vegard Grøtt/Scanpix

The Kommunal Rapport magazine asked near half of the country's municipal councilors (rådmenn) about their views on a potential reform of Norway's municipal boundaries. Some 58 percent said they thought their municipalities should fuse with its neighbours. 

Half also said they liked the Danish model, in which the national parliament decides what number of municipalities there should be, but that already existing local authorities decide how they should join together.

"It is totally normal that a municipality cooperates with other municipalities in up to 30 or 40 areas," said Harald Danielssen, head of the The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (Kommunesektorens organisasjon – KS), which represents municipal and county employees.

"That is an indication that there are many areas which the municipalities don't feel they can reasonable take care of by themselves." 

Three of four survey respondents said that the government would likely tackle municipal reform after elections in September.

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POLITICS

Norway’s PM says country is ready to recognise a Palestinian state

Norway is ready to recognise a Palestinian state together with other countries, its prime minister said on Friday while hosting Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez, who is seeking support for the cause.

Published: 12 April 2024 16:44 CEST
Norway's PM says country is ready to recognise a Palestinian state

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told reporters that such a decision would need to be taken in close coordination with “like-minded countries”.

“Norway stands ready to recognise the state of Palestine,” Støre told a joint press conference with Sanchez.

“We have not set a firm timetable,” Støre added.

In November, Norway’s parliament adopted a government proposal for the country to be prepared to recognise an independent Palestinian state.

Norway also hosted Israeli-Palestinian peace talks at the beginning of the 1990s, which led to the Oslo Accords.

Sanchez is currently on a tour of Poland, Norway and Ireland this week to drum up support for the recognition of a Palestinian state, according to a Spanish government spokesperson.

Speaking alongside Støre, Sanchez said Spain was “committed to recognising Palestine as a state, as soon as possible, when the conditions are appropriate, and in a way that can have the most positive impact to the peace process.”

On March 22nd, Spain issued a statement with Ireland, Malta and Slovenia on the sidelines of an EU leaders summit, saying they were “ready to recognise Palestine” in a move that would happen when “the circumstances are right”.

Last week, Sanchez told reporters travelling with him on his Middle East tour that he hoped it would happen by the end of June.

Støre on Friday said that he welcomed Sanchez’s initiative to consult among countries to “strengthen coordination”.

“We will intensify that coordination in the weeks to come,” Støre said.

The Spanish leader has repeatedly angered Israel with his outspoken comments since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.

The war in the Gaza Strip erupted after Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,634 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.

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