Right now, Could 17, Norway is crammed with flags and nationwide costumes. As yearly, the structure that was signed on this date in 1814 in Eidsvoll is commemorated.
Even for us Swedes it’s a particular date. The Nationwide Meeting in Eidsvoll was a mark towards Sweden, which within the so-called Peace of Kiel had been given the go-ahead to include Norway right into a union. Throughout the summer time that adopted, the marketing campaign towards Norway broke out, which is hopefully Sweden’s final conflict.
The quick conflict ended with a union which lasted till 1905. With Sweden’s NATO membership, it might actually thus be claimed that this 12 months’s Could 17 celebration is the primary in these 210 years when Sweden and Norway are voluntarily in an alliance with one another. And the considered conflict between Norway and Sweden feels utterly overseas right this moment, following all.
Many individuals – together with this editorial board – have just lately highlighted the record-breaking ties between Finland and Sweden. However there’s cause to recall the very sturdy relations additionally with our western sibling. Whereas the connection with Finland is essentially political proper now, the connection with Norway is strongly financial.
In merchandise commerce, Norway competes with Germany to be Sweden’s largest export and import companion. Norway’s uncooked material-heavy exports don’t primarily go to Sweden, however we’re the Norwegians’ predominant import nation along with Germany and China.
Of the foreign-owned firms, solely the German ones have extra staff in Sweden than the Norwegian ones. Corporations akin to Norwegian, Orkla, Schibsted and Strawberry have such sturdy ties to Sweden that they’ll virtually go for Swedish. In Norway, many Swedish firms are equally profitable.
The exercise throughout the border is intense. Gothenburg is Oslo’s largest port. In 2023, Norwegian cross-border commerce in Sweden accounted for SEK 9.3 billion.
The work commute throughout the border can also be intensive, whereas 80,000 Swedes are estimated to stay in Norway. For younger Swedes, this has been a pure extension of the labor market, the place they’ve utilized for jobs primarily within the service sector.
The Norwegian and Swedish enterprise construction differ on a number of factors, however they’re due to this fact good enhances to one another.
Swedish NATO membership will imply additional deepening additionally within the relationship with Norway. Protection planning is coordinated in a geography that’s linked in some ways. It strengthens each Norwegian and Swedish safety.
However the actions throughout the border might be much more versatile.
Round 1.4 million individuals fly the 45 miles between our capitals every year. The route is among the world’s most air-intensive. One cause for that is that the prepare connections between Oslo and Stockholm and Gothenburg respectively are lagging behind.
The shortcomings are additionally noticeable in a number of locations. On the Malmbanan within the north, Swedish iron ore is shipped to the port in Narvik, Norway. The current outage there’s stated to have value LKAB SEK 100 million a day. Much less seen is the essential function of the Malmbanan in supplying the northernmost elements of Norway.
Higher infrastructure between the international locations has not solely grow to be a safety political necessity, when heavy transport might also be wanted between the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts. It will even be good for the local weather, whereas facilitating additional commerce. There are good alternatives to get various financing, for instance from NATO funds.
Different issues that the Chamber of Commerce factors to are the shortage of frequent digital banking companies and the variations in qualification necessities in numerous skilled teams, for instance for craftsmen within the building sector.
A number of limitations rely on one and the identical issue: Norway isn’t within the EU. Cooperation suffers from this. Legal guidelines and regulation enforcement don’t absolutely correspond. The border between the international locations is the exterior customs border for the EU.
Lengthy earlier than the EU existed, the Nordic international locations made mobility throughout the border an apparent a part of the cooperation, with freedom of passports, border customs cooperation and different issues. So Norway’s EU membership doesn’t should be made into an even bigger impediment than it’s.
However one of the best factor for each Norway and Sweden would following all be if all of the Nordic international locations turned a part of the identical EU neighborhood.
