Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Tight election race in Norway’s biggest cities, wine monopoly to see large price increases, and a fresh strategy to reverse plummeting new teacher numbers. These are the headlines on Wednesday.
Large price increases coming at Norway’s wine monopoly
Around 9,750 products at Norway’s state-owned wine monopoly will become more expensive on Friday. The reason for the price increase is the weak Norwegian krone.
“On average, we now get a price increase of five percent. But for the base selection, which makes up 84 per cent of sales in stores that reach the most customers, the increase is 2.5 percent,” Jens Nordahl, communications manager for Vinmonopolet, told Nettavisen.
Some 457 red wines, 342 white wines and 113 sparkling wines are getting a price increase of more than 10 percent.
Still, the price of some 1,500 products will be reduced.
Tight election race in Norway’s biggest cities
An overview from Norwegian newswire NTB shows a close race in five of Norway’s biggest cities.
The newswire reports that in the three cities of Bergen, Oslo and Stavanger, local leadership could change from a Labour-led council to a Conservative Party one.
In Oslo and Bergen, the election race is a dead heat. In Trondheim, the Conservatives are unlikely to end 20 years of Labour local leadership. Meanwhile, in Stavanger, the Conservatives expect to get five more seats than is required to secure a majority.
Tromsø looks to be a likely red-green victory after the Conservative Party suffered heavy falls in recent polling.
Norway to devise fresh strategy to recruit new teachers
The number of applicants to teacher training programs is dwindling, and the education minister, Tonje Brenna, and higher education minister, Sandra Borch, will implement a new strategy.
“The common goal here is that there are qualified teachers who will be responsible for the teaching job,” Brenna said of the new strategy.
Work on the new policy will be done over the autumn. Sandra Borch is hoping that the effects of the policy will be visible from next year.
“That is what the goal is. There is no doubt about that. We need recruitment for both kindergarten and school teachers,” she said to the sector publication Uddanningsnytt.
Party leaders take part in debate
Norway’s leaders took part in a debate on Tuesday, with Labour leader and PM Jonas Gahr Støre and Progress Party leader Sylvi Listhaug coming away with the biggest plaudits from commentators.
Typically, things in Norway are ranked out of six. Jonas Gahr Støre averaged around 4.8 from news outlets newswire NTB reports. Sylvi Listhaug received the same score.
Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg averaged a score of 4.2, and Centre Party leader and Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum received a four. New Socialist Left Party leader Kirsti Bergstø received 3.6, as did recently appointed Red Party leader Marie Sneve Martinussen.
Venstre’s Guri Melby received a 3, Olaug Bollestad of the Christian Democratic Party received 2.6, and Arild Hermstad of the Green Party averaged 2.2.
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Large price increases coming at Norway’s wine monopoly
Around 9,750 products at Norway’s state-owned wine monopoly will become more expensive on Friday. The reason for the price increase is the weak Norwegian krone.
“On average, we now get a price increase of five percent. But for the base selection, which makes up 84 per cent of sales in stores that reach the most customers, the increase is 2.5 percent,” Jens Nordahl, communications manager for Vinmonopolet, told Nettavisen.
Some 457 red wines, 342 white wines and 113 sparkling wines are getting a price increase of more than 10 percent.
Still, the price of some 1,500 products will be reduced.
Tight election race in Norway’s biggest cities
An overview from Norwegian newswire NTB shows a close race in five of Norway’s biggest cities.
The newswire reports that in the three cities of Bergen, Oslo and Stavanger, local leadership could change from a Labour-led council to a Conservative Party one.
In Oslo and Bergen, the election race is a dead heat. In Trondheim, the Conservatives are unlikely to end 20 years of Labour local leadership. Meanwhile, in Stavanger, the Conservatives expect to get five more seats than is required to secure a majority.
Tromsø looks to be a likely red-green victory after the Conservative Party suffered heavy falls in recent polling.
Norway to devise fresh strategy to recruit new teachers
The number of applicants to teacher training programs is dwindling, and the education minister, Tonje Brenna, and higher education minister, Sandra Borch, will implement a new strategy.
“The common goal here is that there are qualified teachers who will be responsible for the teaching job,” Brenna said of the new strategy.
Work on the new policy will be done over the autumn. Sandra Borch is hoping that the effects of the policy will be visible from next year.
“That is what the goal is. There is no doubt about that. We need recruitment for both kindergarten and school teachers,” she said to the sector publication Uddanningsnytt.
Party leaders take part in debate
Norway’s leaders took part in a debate on Tuesday, with Labour leader and PM Jonas Gahr Støre and Progress Party leader Sylvi Listhaug coming away with the biggest plaudits from commentators.
Typically, things in Norway are ranked out of six. Jonas Gahr Støre averaged around 4.8 from news outlets newswire NTB reports. Sylvi Listhaug received the same score.
Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg averaged a score of 4.2, and Centre Party leader and Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum received a four. New Socialist Left Party leader Kirsti Bergstø received 3.6, as did recently appointed Red Party leader Marie Sneve Martinussen.
Venstre’s Guri Melby received a 3, Olaug Bollestad of the Christian Democratic Party received 2.6, and Arild Hermstad of the Green Party averaged 2.2.
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