Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Local election results, high invoice fees from telecommunication firms, and other news making the headlines in Norway on Tuesday.
Local elections: Conservatives secure largest share of the vote
On Monday, Norway held its municipal and county elections. At 99.7 percent of the votes counted, the Conservative Party (H) secured the largest vote share, garnering 25.9 percent of votes.
A change in local leadership is expected in several major cities, such as Oslo, Bergen, and Stavanger.
A quick glance at the election statistics reveals the following party-wise breakdown:
Conservative Party (H): 25.9 percent (+5.8)
Labour Party (AP): 21.7 percent (-3.1)
Progress Party (FRP): 11.4 percent (+3.1)
Centre Party (SP): 8.2 percent (-6.2)
Socialist Left Party (SV): 6.8 percent (+0.7)
Liberal Party (V): 5 percent (+1.1)
Greens (MDG): 4.1 percent (-2.7)
Christian Democrats (KRF): 4 percent (0)
Red Party (R): 3.5 percent (-0.3)
0thers: 9.5 percent (+1.5)
The Labour Party's (AP) registered 21.7 percent of voter support, marking their poorest performance in local elections to date. The Labour Party's governmental partner - the Centre Party (SP) – also saw a significant decline.
Lower voter turnout
In Norway's Monday local elections, only 62.2 percent of eligible voters exercised their right to vote, marking a decline from the 64.7 percent turnout witnessed four years ago.
By 3:00am on Tuesday, with 99.7 percent of votes tallied, a total of 2,639,682 votes had been registered.
Election researcher Johannes Berg commented on the current trends, "This year's election was typical, showcasing a slightly diminished interest in local elections."
A record-breaking 48 percent of the total votes were cast as advance votes. However, Berg told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that while people with more resources often tend to vote in advance, this trend doesn't necessarily translate to a higher overall turnout.
Historical data reveals that not since 1983 has the voter turnout for municipal elections surpassed 70 percent, with a peak at 72.1 percent.
Technical issues hit DNB's banking services
DNB, Norway's largest bank, alerted its customers of disruptions in several banking services on Tuesday morning.
Terje André Kvinlaug, the communications advisor at DNB, told the newspaper VG, "We are experiencing technical difficulties with bill payments during the early hours (of Tuesday).
"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused our patrons. Efforts are underway to rectify the situation promptly."
Throughout the morning, customers encountered challenges executing bill payments via mobile platforms and online banking. Additionally, issues were reported concerning transfers within the online banking system.
Norwegian Consumer Protection Authority probes high invoice fees by telecoms
Following many complaints regarding excessive invoice fees by leading telecommunication companies Telenor, Ice, and Telia, the Norwegian Consumer Protection Authority is set to examine the legality of these charges.
The three telecom giants have been given a three-week timeframe to provide relevant details to the oversight agency, as stated in a recent press release.
"High invoicing fees have emerged as a common trend across various sectors. We are currently scrutinizing multiple industries to determine the legitimacy of such practices," remarked Director Trond Rønningen of the Norwegian Consumer Protection Authority.
Should the presented documentation point to any issues, the regulatory body will contemplate further actions.
Potential measures could include mandating a halt to such practices or imposing fines if companies don't comply within a set period.
Comments
See Also
Local elections: Conservatives secure largest share of the vote
On Monday, Norway held its municipal and county elections. At 99.7 percent of the votes counted, the Conservative Party (H) secured the largest vote share, garnering 25.9 percent of votes.
A change in local leadership is expected in several major cities, such as Oslo, Bergen, and Stavanger.
A quick glance at the election statistics reveals the following party-wise breakdown:
Conservative Party (H): 25.9 percent (+5.8)
Labour Party (AP): 21.7 percent (-3.1)
Progress Party (FRP): 11.4 percent (+3.1)
Centre Party (SP): 8.2 percent (-6.2)
Socialist Left Party (SV): 6.8 percent (+0.7)
Liberal Party (V): 5 percent (+1.1)
Greens (MDG): 4.1 percent (-2.7)
Christian Democrats (KRF): 4 percent (0)
Red Party (R): 3.5 percent (-0.3)
0thers: 9.5 percent (+1.5)
The Labour Party's (AP) registered 21.7 percent of voter support, marking their poorest performance in local elections to date. The Labour Party's governmental partner - the Centre Party (SP) – also saw a significant decline.
Lower voter turnout
In Norway's Monday local elections, only 62.2 percent of eligible voters exercised their right to vote, marking a decline from the 64.7 percent turnout witnessed four years ago.
By 3:00am on Tuesday, with 99.7 percent of votes tallied, a total of 2,639,682 votes had been registered.
Election researcher Johannes Berg commented on the current trends, "This year's election was typical, showcasing a slightly diminished interest in local elections."
A record-breaking 48 percent of the total votes were cast as advance votes. However, Berg told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that while people with more resources often tend to vote in advance, this trend doesn't necessarily translate to a higher overall turnout.
Historical data reveals that not since 1983 has the voter turnout for municipal elections surpassed 70 percent, with a peak at 72.1 percent.
Technical issues hit DNB's banking services
DNB, Norway's largest bank, alerted its customers of disruptions in several banking services on Tuesday morning.
Terje André Kvinlaug, the communications advisor at DNB, told the newspaper VG, "We are experiencing technical difficulties with bill payments during the early hours (of Tuesday).
"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused our patrons. Efforts are underway to rectify the situation promptly."
Throughout the morning, customers encountered challenges executing bill payments via mobile platforms and online banking. Additionally, issues were reported concerning transfers within the online banking system.
Norwegian Consumer Protection Authority probes high invoice fees by telecoms
Following many complaints regarding excessive invoice fees by leading telecommunication companies Telenor, Ice, and Telia, the Norwegian Consumer Protection Authority is set to examine the legality of these charges.
The three telecom giants have been given a three-week timeframe to provide relevant details to the oversight agency, as stated in a recent press release.
"High invoicing fees have emerged as a common trend across various sectors. We are currently scrutinizing multiple industries to determine the legitimacy of such practices," remarked Director Trond Rønningen of the Norwegian Consumer Protection Authority.
Should the presented documentation point to any issues, the regulatory body will contemplate further actions.
Potential measures could include mandating a halt to such practices or imposing fines if companies don't comply within a set period.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.