Støre in talks with red-green party leaders, ban on mouse poison and low reservoir levels are among the news stories in Norway this Thursday.
Støre in talks with Centre Party leader Vedum
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre met Centre Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum yesterday evening in what appears to be the beginning of talks for a new government agreement.
“We had a good discussion on how we can continue to develop the whole of Norway,” Vedum told newspaper VG.
Støre is scheduled to speak to the leader of the Socialist Left (SV), Kirsti Bergstø, today. The PM said after winning the election that he would speak to the leaders of each of the other four parties on the red-green bloc.
READ ALSO: What happens next in Norway after left-wing bloc wins election?
Ban on mouse poison from 2027
The use of mouse poison will be banned for private individuals from 2027, VG reports.
The ban is being introduced to protect pets and wild animals which can be harmed when the poison is passed up the food chain.
“Mouse poison has very harmful effects on both animals and the environment. When predators eat poisoned mice, the toxins accumulate in the food chain. This can cause everything from reproductive problems to fatal damage,” Hilde Singsaas, director of the Norwegian Environment Agency, told VG.
Households will be permitted to use up any remaining supplies until the ban takes effect in 2027.
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Reservoir levels rise up but remain below normal
Norway’s water reservoirs were 76.8 percent full at the end of last week, up 2.5 percentage points from the previous week, broadcaster NRK writes based on figures from the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE).
Despite the increase, levels remain below the 20-year average for the period, which is 81.7 percent.
Reservoirs in eastern, southwestern and western Norway are pulling the total down.
Reservoir levels have a direct impact on electricity prices in Norway because hydropower accounts for almost all of Norway’s electricity production.
Number of people receiving social assistance up
The number of people receiving social welfare payments in Norway increased by 14,000 between 2023 and 2024, new figures from Statistics Norway (SSB) show.
As a result, the total amount paid out in financial social assistance increased by 21 percent between the two year, with around 166,400 people receiving a total of 11.9 billion kroner in 2024.
Both metrics were relatively stable in the years before and during the Covid-19 pandemic but both the number of recipients and the total payouts have surged since 2022 SSB writes.
They agency points to the number of refugees in Norway and rising prices as the main causes of the increase.