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Norway ’s coalition government could be brought down by a motorist-led backlash against rising road tolls being used to fund green infrastructure projects.
Since 2013 Norway’s Conservatives have been propped up in coalition with the right-wing populist Progress Party, a pro-motorist, anti-taxation group which got the fourth largest share of the vote in the last municipal elections.
But the Progress Party, led by the country’s finance minister Siv Jensen, has been losing voters to single-issue parties like “The People’s Action (FNB) – no to more road tolls” ahead of municipal elections in the autumn.
Revenues from tolls have risen 40 per cent in the past four years, topping 13 billion kroner (£1.2bn) this year.
This has helped fund a 75 per cent increase in transport spending, including rail expansion, public transport and cycle initiatives to cut emissions in major cities – in addition to highway maintenance.
Show all 20 1 /20Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A Yellow Vest protester dressed as a Gaul takes part in an anti-government demonstration called by the 'Yellow Vest' (gilets jaunes) movement in Paris, on March 23, 2019. - Demonstrators hit French city streets again on March 23, for a 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest against the French President's policies and his top-down style of governing, high cost of living, government tax reforms and for more "social and economic justice."
KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A protester holds a placard reads in French ''Empire expires'' during a rally in Paris, Saturday, March 23, 2019. Yellow vest demonstrators gathered in Paris and other French cities for a 19th round of demonstrations as authorities issued bans on protests in certain areas and enhanced security measures in an effort to avoid a repeat of last week's riots in the capital.
AP Photo/Michel Euler
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 Yellow Vest protesters hold a banner reading 'RIC (Citizen's Initiated Referendum)' during an anti-government demonstration called by the 'Yellow Vest' (gilets jaunes) movement in Paris, on March 23, 2019. - Demonstrators hit French city streets again on March 23, for a 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest against the French President's policies and his top-down style of governing, high cost of living, government tax reforms and for more "social and economic justice."
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A Yellow Vest protester holds a placard reading 'my loved ones, dad protests to change your country', on Denfert Rochereau Square in Paris on March 23, 2019, during an anti-government demonstration called by the 'Yellow Vest' (gilets jaunes) movement in Paris. - Demonstrators hit French city streets again on March 23, for a 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest against the French President's policies and his top-down style of governing, high cost of living, government tax reforms and for more "social and economic justice."
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A woman holds her pet dog as French anti-riot police officers evacuate people during an anti-government demonstration called by the "Yellow Vests" (Gilets jaunes) movement near Garibaldi Square in Nice, southeastern France, on March 23, 2019. - Thousands of police fanned out across central Paris, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Dijon, Rennes and Nice, on March 23, 2019 as 'Yellow vest' demonstrators are expected to hit French city streets again for a 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest against the French President's policies.
VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A protester wearing a yellow vest holds a placard reading 'the King is naked' in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on March 23, 2019, during an anti-government demonstration called by the 'Yellow Vest' (gilets jaunes) movement in Paris. - Demonstrators hit French city streets again on March 23, for a 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest against the French President's policies and his top-down style of governing, high cost of living, government tax reforms and for more "social and economic justice."
KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A protester from the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) wears a yellow vest reading 'Macron, do you feel the quenelle?' (gesture popularized by French activist Dieudonne M'bala M'bala evoking fisting practice) on the Esplanade du Trocadero during the 'Act XIX' demonstration (the 19th consecutive national protest on a Saturday) in Paris, France, 23 March 2019. To prevent a repeat of the last week riots, French authorities have banned demonstrations in a large area in the west of Paris, including the Champs-Elysees. Yellow vest organizers called on social media for protests in different places in Paris, including the Trocadero square.
EPA
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 Yellow Vest protesters hold a banner reading 'unemployment rights for all', on Denfert Rochereau Square in Paris on March 23, 2019, during an anti-government demonstration called by the 'Yellow Vest' (gilets jaunes) movement in Paris. - Demonstrators hit French city streets again on March 23, for a 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest against the French President's policies and his top-down style of governing, high cost of living, government tax reforms and for more "social and economic justice."
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 Yellow Vest protesters gather on Denfert Rochereau Square in Paris on March 23, 2019, during an anti-government demonstration called by the 'Yellow Vest' (gilets jaunes) movement in Paris. - Demonstrators hit French city streets again on March 23, for a 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest against the French President's policies and his top-down style of governing, high cost of living, government tax reforms and for more "social and economic justice."
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A yellow vest protester holds a placard reading 'democracy? not a chance' during an anti-government demonstration called by the 'Yellow Vest' (gilets jaunes) movement in Paris, on March 23, 2019. - Demonstrators hit French city streets again on March 23, for a 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest against the French President's policies and his top-down style of governing, high cost of living, government tax reforms and for more "social and economic justice."
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A protester waves a coloured flag during a protest by the anti-government "Yellow Vests" (Gilets jaunes) movement in the city of Nice, southeastern France, on March 23, 2019. - Thousands of police fanned out across central Paris, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Dijon, Rennes and Nice, on March 23, 2019 as 'Yellow vest' demonstrators are expected to hit French city streets again for a 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest against the French President's policies.
VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 Yellow Vest protesters take part in an anti-government demonstration called by the 'Yellow Vest' (gilets jaunes) movement in Paris, on March 23, 2019. - Demonstrators hit French city streets again on March 23, for a 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest against the French President's policies and his top-down style of governing, high cost of living, government tax reforms and for more "social and economic justice."
KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A man holds a placard as people attend the 19th week of Yellow vest demonstrations in Paris, France on March 23, 2019.
Julien Mattia/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 People attend the 19th week of Yellow vest demonstrations as security forces stand guard in Paris, France on March 23, 2019.
Julien Mattia/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 This picture taken early on March 2019, shows French police vehicles parked along the Champs-Elysees avenue in the French capital Paris in readiness for "Yellow vest" (Gilets jaunes) anti-governemnt demonstrators on the 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest. - Paris police have banned the protesters from a large area in the west of the city, including the famed Champs-Elysees avenue (which leads to the Arc de Triomphe), scene of last week's rampage by hundreds of anarchists, as well as the presidential palace and National Assembly.
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 Newly appointed Paris police Prefect Didier Lallement (C) speaks with police officers as he visits the Champs-Elysees avenue early on March 23, 2019 in the French capital Paris in readiness for "Yellow vest" (Gilets jaunes) anti-governemnt demonstrators on the 19th consecutive week of nationwide protest. - Paris police have banned the protesters from a large area in the west of the city, including the famed Champs-Elysees avenue (which leads to the Arc de Triomphe), scene of last week's rampage by hundreds of anarchists, as well as the presidential palace and National Assembly.
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 People attend the 19th week of Yellow vest demonstrations as they march in Paris, France on March 23, 2019.
Julien Mattia/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 People attend the 19th week of Yellow vest demonstrations as they march in Paris, France on March 23, 2019.
Julien Mattia/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A man holds a placard during the 19th week of Yellow vest demonstrations in Paris, France on March 23, 2019.
Julien Mattia/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Yellow Vests Protest France March 2019 A protester from the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) stands on the Esplanade du Trocadero, facing the Eiffel Tower during the 'Act XIX' demonstration (the 19th consecutive national protest on a Saturday) in Paris, France, 23 March 2019. To prevent a repeat of the last week riots, French authorities have banned demonstrations in a large area in the west of Paris, including the Champs-Elysees. Yellow vest organizers called on social media for protests in different places in Paris, including the Trocadero square.
EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON
Progress Party officials believe continued compromise with their coalition partners on the rising number of toll roads could force the it to abandon the coalition or risk a whitewash in the autumn.
Sivert Bjornstad, a key Progress Party politician, likened the situation to the emergence of the gilets jaune s (yellow vest ) movement in France, which began as a protest against mounting fuel prices.
“Many of the same kind of people are protesting this in Norway as in France and other countries,” he told Bloomberg .
“It’s the middle class and regular workers who all of a sudden are having to pay many thousands more a year, which is a significant part of their disposable income.”
To quell the outrage among its grassroots membership the Progress Party has proposed phasing out subsidies for electric vehicle owners and spending 100 billion kroner from the country’s oil reserves to do away with tolls altogether.
However, the Conservatives alongside the two Liberal parties and the Christian Democrats, which give the coalition its parliamentary majority, are more sceptical about deterring environmentally minded voters.
A recent poll of voting intentions by Norwegian tabloid, VG (Verdens Gang) suggests that the FNB now represents the country’s fifth biggest party, tied with the socialist party on 6 per cent of the vote.
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The Progress Party meanwhile has seen just 8.6 per cent of voters saying they will back it in the autumn, down from 9.5 per cent of the electorate in 2015.
In the key city of Bergen the FNB got 25.4 per cent of the poll, making it the largest party in the municipality.
The government’s commitments on green issues could be harder to row back on in the wake of green parties establishing themselves as a key force in May’s European elections.
The Independent has approached the Progress Party for comment
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