Don’t do the Norway model, Norway tells Britain
In a POLITICO interview, Norwegian leader Jonas Gahr Støre advises Andy Burnham to look for other solutions in his Brexit reset.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has advised the United Kingdom against emulating its EU relationship, warning that the two economies are too different, during an interview with POLITICO ahead of a summit with European leaders. Norway is part of the EU’s single market as part of the European Economic Area (EEA) but lacks full membership, which means it has no voting rights over the bloc’s commercial rules.
While Norwegian Parliaments have long supported this arrangement, Støre believes it would not be suitable for Britain, which is seeking closer ties with the EU after leaving it a decade ago. He pointed out that Norway has also signed 100 additional agreements with Brussels covering various matters, including climate and security.
Støre stressed that the model is not a viable solution for Britain due to its larger population and more complex economy. He noted that while the U.K., Canada, and Norway could potentially collaborate strategically on shared issues, such as space cooperation and supply chains for rare earth minerals, Norway would not recommend the Norway model to Britain.
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