Has the Norwegian police learned anything from its failure in the 2011 Breivik attacks? A recent terror attack at a mosque near Oslo raises important questions about the extent and range of radical right extremism and the Norwegian state response to it. On the 10th of August 2019, the young radical right extremist Philip… Continue reading “Behind Norway’s terrorist attack that was luckily thwarted”
In late June, as part of the Society for Terrorism Research annual conference held in Oslo, Norway, myself and other attendees were given the opportunity to visit the island of Utøya: the site of the 22 July 2011 mass shooting committed by Anders Behring Breivik, which left 69 people dead; 33 of whom were under… Continue reading “A Visit to Utøya”
For the time being, populist red-green forces seem to have robbed the radical right of its language as well as its voters. On March 1, Norway’s far-left Red (Rødt) party polled at 7.6% — its highest ever result. If an election was called today, this could translate to 14 members in the 169-seat parliament, Stortinget, where the party… Continue reading “The Far Left Is on the Rise in Norway”
The radical right tide might be turning in Norway. Last week thousands turned out on the streets in sub-zero temperatures in 33 Norwegian towns from Mandal in the South to Tromsø in the North to demonstrate against half-a-century of attacks on the right to free abortion in Norway. The new radical right government – formed… Continue reading “Norwegian electorate reacts against radical right evangelists’ attack on women’s rights”
It is now clear that the Norwegian minority government, mainstream conservatives and the radical right will be joined by the tiny Christian people’s (Kristelig Folkeparti-Krf) party in a new, strengthened coalition. After a nail biting internal vote where the Krf Knut Arild Hareide asked the party to support his Christian social values and topple the… Continue reading “Asylum Policy in Norway: How a Norwegian government crisis perpetuates the brutal treatment of refugees”
Norway’s politicians have not dealt with, or intervened, to undermine the racist ideology that made Anders Behring Breivik’s 2011 attacks possible. In July, Norway remembered the victims of the Utøya and Oslo attacks of 2011. A temporary memorial was unveiled with the names of those killed. The attacks have had an enormous impact on a… Continue reading “Norway Has Failed to Combat a Climate of Hate”
If you’re new to Norway; every year on the 17 May you will see a celebration and a spectacle worthy of investigating. Everything stops. For the whole day people are milling in the streets greeting each other, waving flags and shouting ‘hurra for syttende mai’. On this day in 1814 Norway gained independence from Denmark… Continue reading “Right-Wing Nationalism in Norway: The Flag and the ‘Bunad’ on 17 May”
Overview The Norwegian right-wing government coalition was close to collapse in March 2018. The radical right Minister of Justice (including “Immigration and Preparedness”), Sylvi Listhaug, posted a Facebook social media status with a photo of a group of Islamist terrorists. The accompanying caption attacked the Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet, AP) for being too lenient on suspected… Continue reading “Norwegian radical right minister of justice steps down to avoid collapse of government”