The case in summary: • Synnøve Vereide Trampe, commentator in Aftenposten, believes that some villages should die and that the Center Party is pursuing an overly ideological district policy. • The municipalities in Norway are struggling financially, with an expected deficit of around NOK 10 billion this year. • Sandra Borch in the Center Party believes Trampe’s comment is an attack on the smaller municipalities, and calls her a “Norway hater”. • Trampe believes that it is necessary to prioritize, and that it is not economically sustainable to increase the population in the least populated areas in Norway. • Borch believes the Center Party has a good district policy. The summary has been created by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I believe that some villages should simply die. That’s what Synnøve Vereide Trampe says, commentator in Aftenposten on news Helgemorgen on Saturday. In her own newspaper, she has written a comment: “In Commune-Norway, there are many bankrupt estates. Why not more estates?” – I know it’s a brutal message. But today the Center Party pursues a very ideological district policy. And I think it must be more realistic, says Trampe. Some of the villages should die, says Aftenposten’s commentator Synnøve Vereide Trampe in news Helgemorgen. Facsimile: news Helgemorgen Billion deficit for the municipalities The country’s municipalities are struggling with the economy, and are managing against large budget overruns. The deficit could end up at around NOK 10 billion this year. Gunn Marit Helgesen, leader of the Central Association of Municipalities (KS), fears the number could also grow. She met Local Government Minister Erling Sande (Sp) at a crisis meeting on Friday, where the government promised more money to the municipalities. – We have also discussed how we can ease the situation for the current year, says Sande to news. Trampe believes Sp must calm down its ambition to increase the population in the least populated areas in Norway. – It is not economically sustainable. Now we see that this year alone, Kommune-Norge continues to be 10 billion in the red. It is a serious situation. “I love Norway. Aftenposten doesn’t do that,” writes SPS Sandra Borch in her debate post response to Trampe’s comment. Photo: Martin Mortensen / news Believes the villages build preparedness She believes the policy goes beyond the medium-sized and small municipalities that “have the right to life”. – If you love the village, as I do, then you simply have to prioritize. We probably cannot take care of absolutely all the smallest villages and municipalities, says Trampe. That makes Sps Sandra Borch see red. – I believe the comment is an attack on the smaller municipalities. Many of the smallest municipalities account for the greatest value creation in Norway, says Borch to news. She believes that in northern Norway, with its borders to Russia, it is important to have settlements also out in the rural areas. And that it strengthens both preparedness and Norwegian business. – I am proud of the policy that the Center Party is now pursuing. Are there too many municipalities in Norway? Yes, there should be fewer! No, we should cherish the ones we have! Not sure, not so careful for me… Show result Called a “Norwegian hater” In Storfjord in Troms, mayor Geir Varvik (H) believes that his own municipality could be history within 10–15 years. He believes that fewer residents and an increasingly elderly population will push forward municipal mergers in Troms. – Now there are starting to be a lot of small municipalities. If they are to survive, you will have to join together and use the financial resources you have in a completely different way to what we do today, says Varvik to news. Today there are 21 municipalities in Troms. That figure, many predict, will soon decrease in the coming years. Here from Husøy in Senja. Photo: Torkil Stoltz / news Borch believes Sp has turned its policy towards a district investment. She highlights free daycare, lower daycare prices and the proposal to write down student loans in smaller municipalities. – I’m proud of that and it’s the policy Sp has gone to election on that we’re now implementing, says Borch. She has also responded in a separate debate post, where she calls Trampe a “Norwegian hater”. That causes the commentator to react. – I think that is a bit frivolous. It must be possible to be critical of SP’s district policy without being called a Norway hater. I am very happy in the village, and have grown up in the village myself. But we have to accept the reality of today, says Trampe. Mayor Geir Varvik (H) in Storfjord believes his own municipality may soon be history. Photo: Rune Nordgård Andreassen / news – Must prioritize – It is very frivolous to call very many of the small municipalities that drive enormous value creation estates, says Borch. She believes that Trampe and Aftenposten are not able to see the whole country. – Oslo-avisa does not have the ability to look up a little more in the situation we are now in, both in terms of defense policy and security policy, says Borch. – You actually have to prioritize. You cannot spread district politics thinly across the whole of Norway, says Trampe. Municipality-Norway is in financial trouble, with a deficit of NOK 10 billion. Photo: Marita Andersen / news She believes that less money must not necessarily be spent on the district. – We have to use the wiser ones. Either you have to take the money from the oil fund, or it is the residents of other municipalities who have to contribute, says Trampe. Borch believes that redistribution is already happening. – We take individual measures in the districts. There is no doubt that this government has a good district policy. And it is a crossroads in Norwegian district politics, which I am proud that the Center Party is at the forefront of in government. It is 30 years since we last said no to the EU. What has changed since then? Published 12.10.2024, at 14.38
ttn-69
Believes that villages must be allowed to die in peace – called Norway haters – news Troms and Finnmark
