| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| More reaction to the US election |
| 2004-11-08 |
| Results of the US election may end up pushing Norway into the European Union, suggest political analysts, and even Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik is listening. He's long opposed EU membership, but sees a need for more international cooperation. This was the political cartoon in newspaper Aftenposten after it emerged that George W Bush would be the US president for another four years. The text reads: "...and now I'd like to send a little greeting to all my friends in Europe." In a meeting with Crown Prince Haakon in the Prime Minister's office this week, Bondevik acknowledged that talks touched on what four more years of George W Bush as president can mean. Bondevik, who's already called for the Bush Administration to show more international cooperation, noted that he worries nonetheless that trans-Atlantic ties may be weakened. Many, he suggested, may see a need for Norway to engage in stronger foreign policy cooperation with the European Union, also in security matters. That, Bondevik acknowledged, may influence his own view on the EU. Norwegians have narrowly turned down EU membership, first in a referendum in 1972 and against in 1994. But the issue keeps coming up, and recent polls have showed Norwegians favoring EU membership. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #8 Yea former Christian Now Muslim is a class a Troll and wouldn't last 2 seconds here. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-11-08 4:56:03 PM |
| #7 Thanks for the link Xbalanke. More coments to one post than all day at the 'burg. But not as many laughs. Astounding. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-08 4:41:16 PM |
| #6 For anyone interested Bjorn Staerk has some interesting perspective: http://blog.bearstrong.net/001488.html |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2004-11-08 4:06:01 PM |
| #5 rkb, Letâs get real. This is an article from the Norwegian MSM trying to tilt US policy just as the US MSM is telling Bush he has to accommodate the Democrats after whipping them at the polls while at the same time pushing the Norwegians to vote for the EU as a way of punishing the Americans for voting for Bush. I am happy to listen to what the Norwegians are saying as you suggest, but what is it that you think we should be doing differently after having heard them? If you think this analysis is credible, how do you expect âthe Bush Administration to show more international cooperationâ? Sign the ICC and Kyoto? And how should âBush pay more attention to the United Nations, as well as to the troubles i (sic) the Middle Eastâ? Grovel at Arafatâs bedside? When has the U. S. doubted âthe importance of international cooperation, international law and the danger of going it alone"? But does the importance of international cooperation mean the U. S. can never do what it sees to be right even if it means standing alone? And when is Europe going to listen to us? The Europeanâs failure to assume responsibility, even for Europe itself in the Balkans, means that they are a slim reed for the U. S. in international relations. Why does it surprise them that their opinions should carry less weight with us? And if the Norwegians want to cut off their noses to spitr their face by joining the EU, is that important to us? |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-08 3:01:53 PM |
| #4 ...he hopes Bush will pay more attention to the United Nations... I think our eyesight on the UN is working just fine. It is the EU which needs to pay more attention to the UN-not to the divine proclamations, but the meaningless resolutions and spineless inaction. How can the US and the EU work together when they think the UN is fully functional and we have sent it for a detox? |
| Posted by: Jules 187 2004-11-08 2:02:15 PM |
| #3 rkb, considering that militarily the EU is a toothless, tabby cat, how can Norway believe that the EU can provide security? There might be some economic benefit to them, but NO military advantage. The only nations that pose military threat to Norway are Russia, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Finland. As long as Norway and the US are part of NATO, I think that they are pretty safe. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-11-08 2:00:24 PM |
| #2 Norway has been supportive in NATO and Iraq. Don't dismiss the importance of voices like theirs unless you are prepared for the US to go it alone economically, politically and strategically. I for one am not sure we can pull that off, despite our strength right now. |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-11-08 1:18:46 PM |
| #1 It's amusing that as a separate country, they can actually *have* a foreign policy that means something. As a country, they have a military, a foreign office that looks after *their* interests, and rapid response with a minimum of conflicted consensus from bribed leaders of other countries and eurocrats. IN A WAY, it is like a small political faction offering to join a major political party *permanently*, over some issue--they might win a little transitory power, but they lose everything in the process and become taken for granted. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2004-11-08 10:02:02 AM |