Progress Party Leader Siv Jensen: "We want to Cooperate

UNCLAS OSLO 000548 SIPDIS FOR EUR/NB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL NO SUBJECT: Progress Party Leader Siv Jensen: "We want to Cooperate with all Center-Right Parties and be in the Next Government" ¶1. Pol/Econ Counselor and POL LES attended on September 9 a pre-election breakfast speaker series hosted by the independent right-leaning think tank Civita. The organization invited various party leaders to speak solo for 90 minutes to an invited audience in the weeks leading up to Norway's national election on Monday. Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet or FrP) leader Siv Jensen was the featured speaker. Some 150 people, including journalists and party activists from across the political spectrum attended. ¶2. Below are a few informal highlights from Jensen's 60 minutes of prepared remarks and 30 minutes of Q and A. Septel describes post's updated assessment of likely election outcomes as the campaign drama heats up in the final few days. (a) Jensen focused almost entirely on domestic issues, mainly: increasing free market reforms that would increase competition and consumer choice and lead to better service in the public health, elderly care, and education sectors. (b) Interestingly, she did not mention foreign policy or defense in her first 60 minutes of prepared remarks (other than energy and international aid and trade as below). She did field several questions on those subjects. (c) On energy, Jensen said Norway ought to continue to focus on what it does best, which is to work for the most environmentally-friendly possible type of oil and gas production. She said Norway ought to be open to the idea of exploring for oil and gas in the currently protected Lofoten and Vesteralen areas and elsewhere in the north, since such exploration could lead to "new industrial possibilities (i.e., in the petrochemical sector) beyond Norway just exporting the raw material." Besides, she added, with the situation between Russia and its neighbors, Norway ought to realize that additional energy supplies are needed in the region. This should include more oil and gas resources, but it should also include development of alternative energy sources. The two ideas are not mutually exclusive, she said. (d) On international development assistance, she emphasized that "effective international free trade is better than aid alone," which she said has been generous under the current government but not effective in eradicating or reducing poverty. Norway ought instead to work for reducing trade barriers with, and buying more commodities from, developing countries. (e) In the question and answer period, some audience members from the Conservative Party (Hoyre),asked why Jensen was not more out front on pushing for Norwegian EU membership in light of all the reasons they see for doing so. She said succinctly, "We are not there yet." She added, we are a European country dependent on significant trade with the EU and have agreements in place, like the EEA agreement, to cover our needs on that. (f) Someone asked if she would consider appointing a minister-level position for Europe or EU affairs. Jensen responded that it was more likely she would want appropriate ministries to deal with issues by subject than by region. "I would not want to emphasize our trade with Europe over our trade with the U.S., for example." (g) Center right Liberal Party (Venstre) politician Abed Raja (currently an Embassy Oslo IV nominee) made pointed comments about why he cannot stomach a party platform which is based on what he characterized as "anti-immigrant" fear mongering, deporting asylum seekers to Africa while they await results of their petitions, and being against foreign workers which are an important part of Norway's oil industry. Jensen said "I am not going to respond, as I plan to cooperate with Venstre. I prefer to focus our limited remaining campaign time on why a non-socialist coalition is better than the current Red-Green coalition." The context is that while FrP and Hoyre would cooperate with each other and with any of the other two non-socialist parties, i.e., Venstre (Liberals) and KrF (Christian Democrats),Venstre leader Lars Sponheim has repeatedly said Venstre will NOT cooperate with or join a government that FrP is in. (h) At the end, a last questioner wondered why Siv Jensen had not yet mentioned defense and asked for her plans on the subject. To which Jensen responded: The Norwegian military has been quite reduced, so much so that we are largely limited to contributing to international operations (implying, that is, that there are insufficient funds for robust national defense). She said she would focus more on getting more funds for the Home Guard (akin to the U.S. National Guard). On the international front, she said, Norway needs to stand strong and steady with our international cooperation. "The situation in Afghanistan is not something one solves immediately; it needs a longer term commitment." Finally, she said, "I think there is generally often a lack of coordination on the military and civilian AND humanitarian fronts and Norway could do better. ¶3. On the subject of where the race stands with Monday's vote approaching, Jensen said: Why is the media focusing on three parties (H, KrF, and Venstre) versus one - FrP? "It is more important to focus on why we should have a non-socialist (that is, center-right) majority in government. FrP comprises 50 percent of the non-socialist votes nationwide, and we ought to be IN the government, cooperating with other parties." She said all four center right opposition parties ought to be prepared to make compromises in order to bring about a change in government from the current Red-Green left leaning coalition. "FrP should not be the ones to give up our platform/principles; there should be give and take (among us four)." She repeated often, FrP should be inside a non-socialist government, not in the opposition. She closed on this topic by saying, "It is not over. I believe there will be a government change on Monday - toward a strong, non-socialist government."