Norway's Prime Minister Warns Britain Against Copying the Norwegian Model for EU Ties
In an interview with POLITICO, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre advised British leader Andy Burnham not to emulate Norway's relationship with the EU, saying the two economies are too different.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has cautioned British leader Andy Burnham against adopting Norway's model of relations with the European Union. In an interview with POLITICO published on 9 November, Støre spoke ahead of a summit between Burnham and EU leaders, at which the U.K. hopes to explore ideas for better trade terms later this month.
Støre said he would not recommend his country's arrangement to Britain because the economies are so different. Norway, home to 5.6 million people, belongs to the EU single market through the European Economic Area (EEA) but is not a full EU member, so it has no vote on the bloc's commercial rules.
A democratic deficit, but a pragmatic choice
The prime minister acknowledged an obvious democratic deficit in the setup, but said every Norwegian parliament since 1995 has considered it a reasonable approach. He added that he does not see Britain or Canada choosing it. Both countries are currently seeking closer ties with the 27-nation bloc, which the U.K. voted to leave a decade ago.
Burnham has said that in the long term he wants the U.K. to rejoin, and that all options should be examined.
Støre explained that, besides single market membership, Norway has had to sign 100 additional agreements with Brussels covering climate, students, security and other areas. After Brexit, he said, British friends asked him about the Norwegian way, and he told them that if they left the EU because of too much Brussels, they should not take the Norwegian version. Norway largely implements EU decisions, but a country of 5 million people with a very open economy can live with that, he said.
He stressed that Britain must find its own solution. Støre also said he could see the U.K., Canada and Norway working together strategically on issues that matter to the EU as well, including space cooperation and supply chains for rare earth minerals.
Støre has led Norway's Labor Party since 2014 and has been prime minister since 2021.
