The government does well to listen to the best budgetary demands of the FRP

But the Progress Party must stop begging for oats for fads.

Now it begins the 2021 state budget negotiations between Frp and the ruling party Høgre, Venstre and KrF. It’s hard to imagine more extraordinary trading terms:

1. The FRP left the government in January, but the government goes ahead with the statement that the FRP was negotiating.
2. This is the state budget for the 2021 election year. The party will measure itself on this in the election campaign, and it may be the last gong in years that the bourgeois side can influence the state budget.
3. The Liberal Party (and to some extent the KrF) and the FRP still become the main opponents of each other. Now they will negotiate the state budget.
4. And yes: there is still corona, high unemployment and generally bleak prospects.

For this, Frp created an alternative state budget that really responds well to the four points:

First, the party will reach an agreement. Second, third and fourth: The presentation is full of electoral campaign topics for Frp. It contains difficult cases for the center party. And a good number of requirements will help both health and business.

1.5 billion getting rid of the health queues that have emerged in the wake of the corona pandemic is a recognizable FRP policy that many will notice the consequence of. The same occurs with less participation in health services and the need to strengthen efforts against loneliness.

FRP announces a large-scale “border trade package”. They want to reduce taxes on, among other things, alcohol, sweets and tobacco to help the commercial industry on the Norwegian side.

Norwegian supermarkets All along the Swedish border have seen good times under the crown, and FRP would like those who have landed jobs in these stores not to lose it when the borders are opened.

It will likely be difficult for KrF to accept sharp cuts in taxes on tobacco and alcohol. But kicking people out of work is probably not a good alternative either. Maybe something about the sugar tax? Here is the time for a real Harry horse trade.

And when the prince smells like a stable here: The alternative state budget contains old fashions that should soon die in peace.

That’s a lot you’re in a rush to do something without no, but hopefully vintage car tax cuts aren’t at the top of the list.

Occasionally, alternative state budgets can be in excess, well, alternative. For the time being, the FRP will oppose the introduction of VAT by the government as an alternative treatment. Today, this industry has a VAT exemption.

We may not be able to people deny hot stones and therapeutic sugar water, but we probably don’t need to sponsor them either.

FRP will reduce the tax on air passengers. But basing it on the fact that it should “lighten the load” in the industry is quite strange. The reason people don’t fly now has nothing to do with prices, and Frp probably knows that well.

In some areas, the FRP is hit on the leg. They want to stop Langskip, the big CO₂ capture and storage project that may be the next industrial adventure in western Norway.

That requirement comes to make FRP unpopular with many in the industry. Here Vestlands-Frp must soon be able to win over Austlands-Frp if the party is to have credibility as friends of the industry in this country.

It is legitimate to want to reduce NRK. But there is no point in wanting to cut $ 2 billion in next year’s budget. In practice, it will shut down NRK as we know it and leave a couple thousand people unemployed. This is not the year to throw people out of unemployment.

In short, Frp moves quite a few billions. It quickly turns into big sums when you have to cut 30 percent of the development aid budget overnight or cut $ 2.5 billion in estate taxes. Still, this is probably not where it will happen the most this time.

However, it is easy to see that the FRP has had the Minister of Finance for over six years. Now you will find phrases like “The Progress Party has never been afraid to take up the debate on dynamic effects.”

In the old days Frp was in even wilder debates than that.