Now Norway want immigration referendum- is it the start of end of free movement

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140211/norways-populists-demand-immigration-referendum

And with other countries like France, UK and Holland becoming more eurosceptic is it a sign that free movement is now becoming unpopular and the richer states want to end it

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Reply 1

SHallowvale

Wrong.

One member, from one of the seven political parties in Norway wanted to introduce immigration restrictions in the country.

Your suggestion that Norway as a whole wants to have an immigration referendum is ludicrous, and not backed up by any evidence.

I wonder what the head of the 'Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs' thinks of immigration? You know, the department that actually deals with immigration?

Reply 2

No Man

It could be the beginning of the end of free movement, which I welcome personally, and it is likely in Norway, due to having a relatively isolated but functioning economy like Switzerland.
It will be the nail on the coffin of the EU if Euroskeptics get elected in Finland, Sweden, Italy, France, Greece, Czech Republic and the Netherlands in May (which is possible).

The EU establishment as it stands needs to implode.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 3

Ace123

Original post by SHallowvale

The comments came from the ruling government party of Norway (one of 2 in the coalition) there are some more articles below. So the idea clearly has some mainstream support. The party got the 2nd most votes at 23%. Of course a majority may not vote for it but it does have support

http://m.thelocal.ch/20140211/norway-ruling-party-calls-for-swiss-migrant-vote

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/norway-switzerland.trg

Reply 4

SHallowvale

Original post by Ace123

'Some' mainstream support? Well that's nice, isn't it? I guess we should start saying that the UK now endorses socialism as in the last election a Respect Party politician became an MP. :rolleyes:

Anyway, it turns out that the Progess Party (the party in which Mazyar Keshvari has come from) has lost public support (of about 200,000 people):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_parliamentary_election,_2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_parliamentary_election,_2013

The party got 16.3% of the overal vote, not 23% (where did you get that, by the way?).

------

Your first link just repeats what is said in the first, but provides something nice:

Progress's position clashed with that of Norway's Conservative Party, which leads the ruling two-party coalition.

Europe Minister Vidar Helgesen said her party supported open labour markets.

"We in Norway want to emphasize that the principle of free movement of people is essential for growth and prosperity in an open economy," she said after the Swiss result.

Maybe you should actually read the things you post? (As i've been suggesting since last year)

The second link is also a repeat.

Reply 5

Jefferson Disk

Original post by Ace123

The party you are referring to is just a populist bunch of xenophobes.

The Swiss have just voted themselves into some deep sh*t. Given that they were never in the EEA/EU they had the most 'privileged' arrangement comparing to any other country, yet it seems it was not enough for them. Expect to see the EU ripping apart all the bilateral agreements with Switzerland, since they just voted to flagrantly breach one of the fundamental arrangement that they had with the EU.

Time to invoke the 'Guillotine clause'!

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 6

Ace123

Original post by Jefferson Disk

perhaps they voted because they want the Guillotine clause used perhaps the Swiss realised the EU is only a drain on their country and want out and this was the way to do it and now Norway are following the same route

Reply 7

SHallowvale

Original post by Ace123

May you stop making this claim? You've provided no evidence that Norway intends on doing the same.

Reply 8

SHallowvale

Original post by Algorithm69

The Eurocrats in this thread really live up to their reputation of being authoritarian bullies.

Who are you referring to?

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 9

Alfissti

Way to twist and turn but I don't expect anything different from this Ace-troll.

First off, the immigration debate in Norway for the most parts has zero relevance to the issue of EU and free movement of labour. It is more to do with migration from outside of EU which in recent years has been somewhat out of control.

Progress Party is a far-right party, it is in a coalition government with the other Centre-Right parties. No chance such a referendum would ever happen and while they want a full debate on immigration and welfare it is hardly mainstream views. Nearly everyone wants the EU in its present form as it allows plenty to go to Germany and UK for jobs as well as to stock up on booze. Like anything from a far-right party it does need to be taken with a big pinch of salt as often most things are blown up to be a far bigger issue than it really is and that includes support for it, having said that the leader of that party mostly downplays the issue and there isn't really much support for lesser ties with the EU as most know the days of oil wealth is coming to an end and it will come a time that Norway will have to rely on exports and tourism to support the existing levels of state and welfare, there is a very limited market for 70% of most goods and services produced in Norway so they aren't going to shoot themselves in the foot.

Reply 10

TheHistoryStudent

I didn't think Norway was even fully in the EU anyway was it? I thought they were tied to it economically but not politically (and so had to adhere to a number of EU rules with no say in them).

Reply 11

That Bearded Man

This doesn't surprise me in Norway, the people in general seem more staunchly in support of immigration restrictions and especially with a centre-right coalition with the Progress party in.

And I think since it's the EEC countries, we might have to wait for an EU country to actively interfere before a domino effect.

Reply 12

Are you Shaw?

Original post by No Man

... why would you want to leave the EU? It's detrimental to free-movement and therefore freedom. Your spite of the EU is irrational, you're shooting yourself in the foot and you don't even care.

Reply 13

No Man

Original post by Are you Shaw?

... why would you want to leave the EU? It's detrimental to free-movement and therefore freedom. Your spite of the EU is irrational, you're shooting yourself in the foot and you don't even care.

My faith in the EU will be partly restored if its government system follows the US system, where a president is elected by the people living in the EU rather than having a system that is almost like China's.

Or have it like it was before the Euro became established and have it as a trading block only.

But that's not going to happen, so sometimes you have to destroy before you rebuild.

And when it does rebuild it should only include successful economies.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 14

Yi-Ge-Ningderen

Original post by Are you Shaw?

... why would you want to leave the EU? It's detrimental to free-movement and therefore freedom. Your spite of the EU is irrational, you're shooting yourself in the foot and you don't even care.

It is undemocratic and a burden on the tax payers of this country.

Reply 15

Yi-Ge-Ningderen

Original post by No Man

My faith in the EU will be partly restored if its government system follows the US system, where a president is elected by the people living in the EU rather than having a system that is almost like China's. 
 
Or have it like it was before the Euro became established and have it as a trading block only. 
 
But that's not going to happen, so sometimes you have to destroy before you rebuild. 
 
And when it does rebuild it should only include successful economies.

Imagine a block of the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia (maybe South Africa as well), now that would have clout!

Reply 16

Are you Shaw?

Original post by Yi-Ge-Ningderen

It is undemocratic and a burden on the tax payers of this country.

err,
they're elected and
we make a net profit and businesses would leave if we left anyway so tax payers would be having a ball with 12% less gdp from companies leaving

Reply 17

Yi-Ge-Ningderen

Original post by Are you Shaw?

err,
they're elected and
we make a net profit and businesses would leave if we left anyway so tax payers would be having a ball with 12% less gdp from companies leaving

We don't elect the majority, so it is undemocratic. 100% of UK MEP's could object to a new EU law, but we would have to accept it anyway, that is not democracy.

They would not leave at al. We could offer business better terms without the EU, the same EU that losses £100 billion a year in corruption alone. Never mind the useless migrants that the people are left to pay for that are sucking all slack out of the system.

Reply 18

Are you Shaw?

Original post by Yi-Ge-Ningderen

err we've changed our agreements with the EU on more than one occasion because we didn't like the policy so the idea that the UK has no influence is a little silly, furthermore you vote for MEPs.

As for businesses I think you're being a little bit risky, no financial institution or business wants that uncertainty, the US have already said they would not offer us a trade deal. How could we offer better terms if I may ask?

Reply 19

Yi-Ge-Ningderen

Original post by Are you Shaw?

It is not democratic if 100% of British people disagree with a law and 100% OF UK MEP's don't agree, but we still have a particular law, that is not democracy!

It is not up to financial institutions what we do, they exist to serve the people, not the other way around. The US would offer trade deals, anyway, if we left the EU, it would fall apart due to our huge funding. With anti -EU feelings in France and Holland (as well as a few others), we could soon start a new group, based on TRADE and nothing else, no more foreign policy interference etc., laws, or movement of people.

Anti-EU feeling is on the rise across Europe, that cannot be denied even by a Europhile surely.