Norway’s Labour Party rules out ultimatum over fuel tax dispute

The Norwegian government will not issue an ultimatum or threaten to resign over the ongoing fuel tax conflict in parliament, Labour Party parliamentary leader Tonje Brenna confirmed on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters at the Storting, Brenna dismissed speculation about a potential cabinet crisis, stating, “That is not on the table.” She emphasised that the dispute over temporary cuts to road usage taxes on petrol and diesel must be resolved within the revised budget framework.

The Centre Party, a key coalition partner in the red-green government, has faced sharp criticism for backing a Conservative Party proposal to suspend fuel taxes amid rising prices linked to the Middle East conflict. Brenna called the Centre Party’s move a “serious breach” of the budget agreement, adding, “What is happening now is not acceptable. The Storting is making decisions with major financial consequences without proper funding, and the Centre Party is breaking our agreement.”

She directed particular criticism at Centre Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, stating, “What he is doing is not right—neither towards the Labour Party nor the other red-green partners. He knows this very well himself.”

When asked whether the government still had a parliamentary majority if the Centre Party aligned with the opposition on the tax cut—estimated to cost the state 4 billion kroner—Brenna replied, “I have not heard the Centre Party say they are switching sides. I assume we still have the same majority we had after the election.”

She reiterated that while the situation was “not acceptable” for Labour, the party would not escalate the conflict into a government crisis.

The Conservative Party’s proposal, which would temporarily remove road usage taxes on fuel, has been fast-tracked in parliament. The red-green coalition had previously agreed to address fuel price relief within the revised budget process.