Norway PM issues ultimatum for govt partners

Norway’s Conservative Party Prime Minister Erna Solberg has set a Monday deadline for the three junior partners in her coalition to decide whether they should remain in her government.

The crisis was triggered by a long-simmering conflict between two of the four parties in Solberg’s majority government, the right-wing Progress and the centrist Liberals, over how to pay for investments in roads and public transport.

If one of the parties leaves, Norway faces the prospect of a minority government, either with Solberg as prime minister or with opposition Labour Party leader Jonas Gahr Stoere taking the reins, depending on the support found in parliament.

Parties that want to stay in the cabinet must accept an ultimatum presented by Solberg if they want to remain.

“I’ve presented a final proposal,” Solberg said late on Friday, while adding that the annual additional cost was estimated at around 2 billion Norwegian crowns ($223 million).

Faced with opinion polls showing declining support ahead of local elections on Sept. 9, the right-wing Progress Party has called for large cuts in road tolls - a proposal opposed by the environmentally minded Liberal Party.