Norway’s famous deal with the EU could change as Eurosceptic party described as “the biggest political force in the country” calls for terms to be renegotiated.
Norway’s leading Centre Party has called for the country to look into “alternatives” to the country’s current European Economic Area (EEA) membership, and for its trade terms with the to EU to be looked into.
The party, which successfully campaigned against Norway joining the EU in the 1972 and 1994 referenda, hailed Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal as “a better agreement” than Norway’s.
They added that the UK had won “more freedom and independence” and had “taken back authority” in terms of national policy.
The Centre Party has called for a reset of the country’s trading relationship with Europe for many years.
The party’s parliamentary leader, Marit Arnstad, said that Brexit had shown it is possible for Norway to “organise trade in a different way than the EEA agreement does”.
She added: “They get access to the internal market and the common trade that is desirable, but they do not have to be part of a dynamic regulatory development that places strong ties on the individual countries’ national policies.”
A senior member of the country’s Socialist Left party, Heming Olaussen, who leads the parties EEA Committee, has also supported the notion.
He argues that the Brexit deal “safeguards national sovereignty in a better way than the EEA does for us”, highlighting how the UK had distanced itself from the European Court of Justice.
This is backed by many of the country’s trade unions (including its largest), which have become dissatisfied and frustrated with the current arrangement.
Reform has also been suggested by a senior member of the Progress Party, who wishes to end the free movement of labour to Norway from the rest of Europe.
Norway’s mainstream Conservative and Labour parties are in favour of the current arrangement. Any Eurosceptic parties would find it difficult to push for a referendum.
National elections are set to take place in early September.
