The Progress Party (FrP), the Centre Party (Sp) and the Christian Democratic Party (KrF) will jointly submit a motion to the Norwegian parliament calling for reduced fuel tax rates to be reinstated until the end of the year.
During Tuesday’s vote on the motion, the Conservative Party (Høyre) will have to take an active position for or against the proposal, FrP said in a press release.
“We have seen prices at the pumps exceeding NOK 31 per litre over the past week. We cannot simply sit back and watch this happen,” FrP leader Sylvi Listhaug said.
She stressed that FrP ultimately wants fuel taxes to be permanently reduced, but said the party’s immediate priority is to secure a parliamentary majority for a temporary reduction lasting until the end of the year.
The motion will be presented during the parliamentary debate on the King’s Speech in the Storting.
“This is a very serious situation”
“For people living outside central Oslo, a diesel price of more than NOK 31 per litre is a very serious problem. People depend on their cars. It also has serious consequences for many different businesses across the country. For them, diesel prices above NOK 30 are certainly not part of everyday life – it is a crisis,” said Sp leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum.
KrF leader Dag-Inge Ulstein said the current fuel prices facing families and businesses were unsustainable.
“For many families living outside the major cities, a car is absolutely essential in everyday life – for commuting to work, taking children to kindergarten and getting them to extracurricular activities. We want more people to be able to afford children, a home and a car, which is why lower fuel taxes are a clear priority for us,” he said.
Protest planned outside the Storting
Protesters from the Dieselbrølet group are expected to gather outside the Storting during Friday’s opening of parliament. In April, protesters drove past the parliament building, honking their car horns as part of the demonstration.
The price of diesel has risen significantly since the fuel taxes were reinstated on 1 September.
In a poll commissioned by the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) just over a week ago, 57% of respondents said they supported reintroducing the tax cuts.