Ulf Sverdrup

Norden og Storbritannia – et nytt avsnitt

In this special issue of Internasjonal Politikk, we discuss how Britain’s decision to leave the EU will influence Norden and the individual Nordic countries. A little more than a year has now passed since the British EU referendum, which ended with a majority of those voting recommending that Britain should leave the Union. “Brexit” marks a crossroads in European political history, and will be central in European politics for many years to come. The outcome of the negotiations is uncertain, as are the long-term implications of Britain’s withdrawal. What is certain is that Brexit has already created unrest and insecurity in Europe, and that it will change both Britain’s role in Europe and intra-EU dynamics. These changes will in all likelihood also influence the Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – which belong in the Northwestern corner of Europe and historically have had close ties to Britain. Independent of their formal attachment to the EU, they all need to redefine their relations with Britain as well as with Europe and the EU post-Brexit.

Surviving Brexit: twelve lessons from Norway

One year after the referendum, after losing its majority in the general election, the UK government is revising what Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson famously labelled the ‘Cake-and-Eat-It’ approach to Brexit. In this context, it might be worth asking if there is anything the UK can learn from Norway’s quarter of a century experience as a ‘quasimember’ of the European Union.

Transatlantic Troubles and the EU’s Pivot Toward Asia

The G20 Summit in Hamburg demonstrated that the geopolitical landscape is rapidly changing. The U.S. is no longer the only leader—it has to share the scene with China, Europe, and Russia, among others. In light of the changing landscape, the EU and China have begun to redefine their relationship. For years, Europe has sought to find the best way to adjust to the rise of China and growth in Asia. A key factor in the EU’s ties to China was always its relationship with the United States. However, President Donald Trump has brought new uncertainties to the transatlantic alliance. How will this affect the European “Pivot to Asia?”

The G20: Inclusivity and Legitimacy - a Nordic Perspective

At a time of geopolitical uncertainty and strong interdependencies there is a need for more effective global governance. The G20 provides a positive force but there are well founded concerns with regard to its legitimacy and the risk of securing “club goods” at the expense of international institutions such as the UN. In particular, many countries from the southern hemisphere feel excluded from this elite group and continue to expresses their worries but they are not the only ones. The Nordic countries, among them Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, constitute an economically powerful group of states that has been denied any membership so far. So what is the Nordic perspective towards the G20, and how can the Nordics contribute best to this forum of the largest industrial and emerging states?

Budsjettknuten. Utviklingspolitikken kan skygge for utenrikspolitikken.

Vi lever i en tid med store geopolitiske omskiftninger og økt usikkerhet. Flere land er nå i ferd med å gjen­nomgå og justere sin utenrikspolitikk. I tider med usikkerhet kan det være hensiktsmessig å øke handlefriheten. UtenriksministerIne Eriksen Søreide har antydet at hennes førsteprioritet er sikkerhet, nærområdene, transatlantiske forhold og Europa. Å prioritere er ikke lett. Det handler om å koble visjoner med ressurser og oppmerksomhet. Trolig ligger den viktigste skranken prosaisk nok i den hjemlige budsjett­strukturen. See full text

Nordic Cooperation and the New Geopolitics