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On New Years Eve, a year ago, it was great to leave a decade behind and start a new one. It gave room for a little more hope and a little bigger dreams.
But the decade did not start as we hoped and dreamed of. 2020 turned out to be a really bad year. At the beginning of the year the coronavirus arrived.
At the end of the year, we witnessed the destruction that the forces of nature can do. Then Gjerdrum at Romerike was hit by one of the worst clay fast landslides in recent memory. Many people are affected. Many have lost their homes. Many are still evacuated. And many live in uncertainty. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster. And our thanks to the rescue teams who have done a formidable job.
The coronavirus infected our society for most of the year. The virus has claimed lives, many have fallen ill, jobs have been lost. Many have felt loneliness and alienation and loneliness. The desire for closeness has become a requirement for distance. The government has had to make decisions quickly. Often under great uncertainty.
Not everything went well on the first try. But we have changed our decisions as we learn more.
Since March, two waves of infections have hit Europe. Both times, in Norway we have done better than people in other countries. We have had fewer in hospitals and fewer deaths. Our economy has done better.
There are several reasons why we have done better so far. We implement the measures early. The countries that were waiting were hit the hardest. And most Norwegians have lined up for the big charity event. People have put their interests and dreams on hold to protect older people and groups at risk. It has saved lives. I am deeply grateful, proud and moved by the way the Norwegian people have handled the greatest challenge to our society since World War II. We lined up for each other when it mattered most.
Even if 2020 were a really bad year, people’s efforts will be something we can always remember with pride.
Twenty years ago, one of our great heroes of the resistance, Tore Gjelsvik, published his memoirs of the war. The title of the book also puts into words the hope I have for 2021: “Our day is coming soon.” The day will soon come when we can give each other good hugs again, be together at concerts, sing with a full throat, bring all generations together for holidays and birthdays. And the Russians can roll again. Our day will come soon.
I wish I could say that the day comes tomorrow. Unfortunately I can’t. We have to live with the measurements a little longer.
Most of us manage to live abnormally for a period of time. It’s not fun, he assumes, but it works. But for those who felt loneliness before, it may have gotten worse. So I have a call for you tonight: Look around you. If someone thinks you are sitting alone, answer a phone call and chat. Hear how it goes. It costs so little, but it means a lot.
Our day will come soon. And to put it a bit jokingly: it comes with a truck and air transport. Of course, I am thinking about vaccines. The fact that completely new vaccines are arriving so quickly is a triumph for science and international cooperation. It’s worth thinking about at a time when conspiracy theories are spreading rapidly, where more people seem to be questioning science and knowledge. And where someone advocates that each nation be self-sufficient. On the contrary. The pandemic has emphasized that no country can solve these challenges alone. For Norway, the EEA agreement has been important in ensuring us access. We have received special help from our good neighbor Sweden. We should be grateful for that.
Norway has also assumed its responsibility. We took the initiative to develop CEPI in 2016. An international mechanism that contributes to the rapid development of vaccines for new and rare viruses. We should be proud of that.
Now we have learned that the countries of the world do much more together than each of us. If you get sick, you can get respiratory assistance from a Swiss respirator. The drugs you need can be made in Italy or India. One of the vaccines that we will use has been developed in the United States and Germany. And it’s been tested by more than 40,000 volunteers from six countries on five different continents, to make it safe for you.
We have also made our contributions. Researchers at NTNU have developed a method that makes it possible to test thousands every day. It has been exported to Denmark and India, among others.
We can achieve a lot in Norway. But we are just over five million. We can never cover all of our security needs alone. We will always feel much better and safer in this country, if we too can benefit from the progress contributed by nearly eight billion people outside of Norway.
It has been almost 45 years since I started getting involved in politics. Much has changed in these years. Above all for the better. Therefore, the issues that have been most important to work with have changed. But the assurance that everyone has a job to go to has always involved me. Therefore, it is difficult to see how the coronavirus has affected many companies. Especially in tourism, nightlife, culture and entertainment, and transportation. I understand that many are having a hard time now.
Our day will come soon. And your day. Then we will meet again at concerts, cafes and restaurants. Let tourists enjoy the best that Norway has to offer. I hope.
In the meantime, we will support the companies that are struggling. The state cannot take all the risks. But we must have good arrangements so that we can save many of the viable companies. And I would also encourage anyone who can to support their local businesses during this time.
Many people feel that their work has become more difficult now. But those who may be going through the most difficult times are those who no longer have a job to go to. Some will return to their old jobs. Others need to find a new one and must get help with it.
Graduates will find it more difficult. Young people have sacrificed a lot to limit the infection. We owe it to young people to do what we can to give them a good future: secure jobs, a climate policy that works, and above all a strong commitment to knowledge and competence. As a result, more teachers are receiving training in the subjects they teach and several thousand new study places have been created. We will build more the knowledge society. May it be our thanks to the young people for their great efforts in a difficult time.
Norway needs more jobs. Fortunately, there are many who bet. I recently visited businessman Edgeir Vårdal Aksnes and his digital electricity company Tibber in Førde. In the middle of the pandemic, they have hired 50 percent more. And in Sunnmøre, where they make furniture like never before. When I visited Ekornes, they told me there were about 100 new hires. The ambitions are another couple hundred for the next five years. These are companies that are leading the way.
The working life of the future must be smart and innovative, but also green. In the future, we will especially work with hydrogen as an energy carrier. Hydrogen becomes important where electricity and batteries fall short. Among other things, we will build more ferries that use hydrogen. Before Christmas, the industrial company Yara launched exciting plans to electrify the Porsgrunn factory. It will also contribute to the development of green shipping. In this way, climate policy can also create new jobs.
We have set ourselves ambitious climate targets to avoid dangerous climate change. In the next few days, the government will present the first climate plan that shows how we will achieve the emission reduction targets in the non-quota sector, through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Norway.
Several of our biggest challenges before the pandemic will also be there after the pandemic. Not least when it comes to inclusion. Work provides income that provides food on the table and a roof over your head. But work is also more than income. Work is community. I think everyone who has been at headquarters a lot has learned to appreciate that. Work is also domain. Experience of being useful to others. Many people in Norway have much more to give, but they don’t have the opportunity. This may be due to an unusual name, a gap in the CV, or a disability. Looking ahead, we must address this even more. My hope is that after the pandemic, we can see everyone and include more people.
During the holidays, we think a lot about those who are working abroad, without the opportunity to be with family and friends. Many are doing work on behalf of all of us, to make the world a better place. This year, the coronavirus creates an even more special situation. I want to thank you all for the effort you make. We think about you a lot now during the holidays.
Many Norwegians have been quarantined in the last year. Among them, our dear royal couple. I want to remind you of the king’s words in his address to the people on March 15, 2020. His message was that we all need a little more kindness at this time. Those are wise words. In a difficult time, it is easy to use slightly larger words than necessary when we disagree. I want to thank the King and Queen for the support and wisdom they have shown in a particularly difficult time. A little more kindness makes it easier for everyone to bear.
There are many to be thanked after a year like this. I want to highlight a few. Employees in hospitals and elderly care are in a special position. Their efforts have meant a great deal to the patients they have treated and have given us security and pride.
All the burning souls of our country. Like those at the Halden Volunteer Center, who go to great lengths to spread information about infection control to those who don’t understand Norwegian well.
All those who approach those who are alone. For example, Karl Laugsand and the Ytterøy National Public Health Association, who call those who live alone in the village and invite them to eat together.
Employees in schools and kindergartens that give children and young people the best start in life. And who quickly switched to digital teaching and who went through the yellow and red levels.
Employees of transportation, cleaning and retail, because it has kept the wheels of society moving AND employees in ministries, directorates, agencies, counties and municipalities. And especially to the employees of the National Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Health Directorate. Many people still work weekends and late nights, with tips, rules, compensation plans, and much more. Without them, Norwegian management of the virus would not have been possible.
I would also like to thank the other parties in the Storting for their constructive cooperation when the pandemic broke out.
And last but not least, I would like to thank everyone who follows the tips and rules for infection control.
It’s not funny, I know. But it works when we do it together. And we have to persevere a little longer. Because that’s how we handled 2020, together. And this is how we will also manage the start of 2021.
Happy New Year, our day will come soon.
