Growing opposition to EU membership
The opposition to Norwegian membership in the EU is growing. The March survey shows that if a national referendum had been held today, 56 per cent of the voters would have said no to Norwegian membership.
Only 30 per cent of those asked would have voted yes, the lowest ever. In Norstat’s February poll 38.1 per cent said they would have voted yes, Norwegian Broadcasting Cooperation reports.
In the March poll 13.6 per cent are undecided.
Some analysts believe the current financial problems within the EU may be one reason for the fall in support for EU membership. A wave of financial protectionism and inter-nation disagreement has hit the Union in the wake of the financial crisis.
- When things are going well in Norway, it’s bad news for the EU lobby, said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in today’s “Politisk kvarter” on NRK. Norway has been relatively unaffected by the global recession, but there’s a new world economic order, with China and Asia gaining more power.
Støre believes this will cause problems both at home and for the Nordic Countries, because the G8 will be replaced by the G20. Neither Norway nor the Nordic Countries are members.
