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Norway Finance Minister Resigns In Exodus Of Eurosceptics

Trygve Slagsvold-Vedum, Norway's Finance minister, said that his eurosceptic Centre Party and he would resign as a result of a disagreement between the Labour Party and him over the adoption by EU energy policies.

Centre Party, which has been in power since 2021 and holds eight of the 20 seats in the Norwegian cabinet, including Finance Minister, Defence minister, and ministers of justice and security, and Labour holds the other 12 positions.

Labour, who has stated that Norway must maintain good relationships with the EU due to the threat of a trading war between Europe an the United States, can now govern alone as a minority until the September elections.

Ministers of the government have stated that Labour wants Norway, an EU member state outside the EU, to adopt union directives regarding renewable energy consumption, energy performance in buildings and increased energy efficiency.

The Centre Party has opposed all three directives because it believes they will undermine Norwegian autonomy. It has also maintained for years that Norway, a power and gas exporter, should seek to take back control of regulation from the EU.

Vedum said at a press briefing that "the conclusion for us is the Centre Party doesn't want to be a part of this" development.

In opinion polls, Norway's centre-left two-party minority government trails right-wing parties ahead of parliamentary elections in the fall. (Reporting and editing by GwladysFouche, Terje Solsvik)

(source: Reuters)