Next Norwegian govt to get tougher on immigration

AFP/OsloNorway’s incoming government will get tough on immigration, future prime minister Erna Solberg, has said as she presented on Monday the main policies of the minority coalition that she is forming with a populist right-wing party.Solberg, who is working to put together a coalition after victory at legislative elections last month, has failed to convince the Christian Democrats or liberals to enter government with her.However the two centre-right parties agreed to co-operate with the Conservatives in parliament where their support will be indispensable.Solberg spoke of a “new co-operation”, at a press conference on Monday.Before the elections, centre-right leaders had insisted that the policy gaps between them and the anti-immigration populist Progress Party were too wide to consider an alliance with them.However on Monday the Progress Party, which also espouses huge tax cuts, signed a co-operation agreement which announced the main planks of the future government on issues such as budget orthodoxy, asylum policy and oil prospecting.The document foresees, in the name of cracking down on forced marriages, raising the minimum age of 24 for immigrants to Norway to set up a family with someone who is living abroad as well as quicker processing of immigration cases and the creation of closed asylum centres.The more liberal centre-right parties managed to secure a policy of a partial amnesty for asylum seekers in certain cases.On budget policy the allied parties agreed to strictly limit using the country’s massive sovereign funds.If all goes to plan it will be the first time since its creation 40 years ago that Progress participates in running the country.It comes two years after Anders Behring Breivik, a former Progress party member, killed 77 people during a rampage at a Labour Youth camp.The new government is expected to take power on October 14, when outgoing Labour Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg formally stands down.