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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/norwegian-nurse-sued-municipality-case-now-headed-to-appeals-court/

Norway

Norwegian nurse sued municipality – case now headed to appeals court

Published October 20, 2023 – By Editorial staff

Montage. Photo: Gustavo Fring/Pexels, Iris Frohe/Facebook

Iris Frohe wants to shed light on the municipality's actions - not just for its own sake.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Norwegian nurse, Iris Frohe, sued the municipality where she worked, claiming she was discriminated against for refusing to take the experimental covid vaccine.

However, when the case was brought to the Norwegian District Court, she lost against her employer. Now, it's being taken to the Court of Appeals, and Frohe believes that it's crucial to highlight the case - not just for her own sake.

During the coronavirus crisis, Iris Frohe declined the covid vaccine as she perceived it to be experimental and untested. Since she was the only employee who didn't get vaccinated, she was required to undergo regular covid tests. Moreover, she was the only one mandated to wear a face mask during working hours.

When such control measures are implemented, employers are obligated to discuss these with employee representatives to get an overview of the measure's effect, duration, and consequences, which should then be documented. Iris requested this from her employers on several occasions but never received it. Because she chose not to follow her employer's orders, she was dismissed.

– Hamar municipality introduced infection control measures without written protocol and necessary risk analyses or assessments in accordance with Section 9.2 of the AML (Working Environment Act). This wasn't even mentioned in the judgment, Iris told the Norwegian health site Hemali.

Following this, Iris, along with her lawyer Barbro Paulsen, decided to sue the Norwegian municipality of Hamar, where Iris was employed, claiming that the unequal treatment constituted discrimination. The case was brought to the District Court, where Iris lost against the municipality in February of this year.

"Many don't realize this happened in Norway"

Iris believes the judgment was "unbalanced" and that her demands for answers as to why she was discriminated against were deemed irrelevant. The nurse also had to pay the municipality's legal costs.

– Given that the judgment was so unbalanced, it felt like my side was barely heard in the courtroom. My demands for an answer on the basis for differentiated measures for me as an unvaccinated person were either not mentioned or seen as irrelevant, said the nurse.

However, Iris has received a lot of support from many people and even organizations. She describes herself as drawing strength from the fact that it's an important issue to raise, even for others.

– Many people don't realize that this happened in Norway and that it affected many people. I also draw strength from a fantastic network of good helpers, friends, and supporters who share the same conviction that this case is important, she said.

The case will be taken up in the Norwegian Court of Appeals on October 26 and 27.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/norwegian-experts-sound-alarm-over-weight-loss-medication/

Norway

Norwegian experts sound alarm over weight-loss medication

Published November 18, 2025 – By Editorial staff

Photo: iStock/Douglas Cliff

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

More and more people are using weight-loss medications to lose weight. Now Norwegian experts are sounding the alarm that these drugs may trigger a new form of eating disorder – a so-called "dieting disorder" where patients become trapped in destructive behavior.

The use of various weight-loss medications has increased in many countries recently, with drugs like Wegovy and the type 2 diabetes medication Ozempic increasingly being used for weight loss. These drugs have gained traction because they contain semaglutide, which increases the feeling of satiety.

Danish experts have previously warned that this type of medication can worsen and even trigger various types of eating disorders, with a larger proportion of patients taking the medication in a destructive manner. Now Norwegian experts in the field are also stepping forward, noting that there is an entirely new patient group – those who cannot stop taking weight-loss medications.

— We're getting quite a few people coming to us after having taken weight-loss medication for a while who say they can no longer control it themselves, but they don't dare stop taking the medication because they will then gain weight, says psychologist Bente Sommerfeldt to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.

"Dieting disorder"

Sommerfeldt specializes in eating disorders and says that more and more people in the field are talking about how the growing market for obesity medications has triggered what may become a new diagnosis.

— We are on the verge of getting yet another eating disorder, which we might call dieting disorder.

General practitioners also see risks with the use of weight-loss medication and believe that there is currently no good method for actually stopping it once you've started.

— At present, we have no good method for stopping this medication. The most important thing is therefore that we speak clearly with patients, says Torgeir Hoff Skavøy, who is chairman of the Norwegian Association of General Practitioners.

Cathrine M Lofthu, who heads the Norwegian Directorate of Health, says they take the experts' warnings very seriously and that we must recognize this is a social problem.

— We have created a society where it is difficult to make good choices, she says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/norway-fails-to-eradicate-wild-boar/

Norway

Norway fails to eradicate wild boar

Published November 18, 2025 – By Editorial staff

Photo: Rolf Schmidbauer/Unsplash

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Despite Norwegian authorities wanting to eliminate all wild boar in the country, the population remains stable. According to new figures from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), between 450 and 700 wild boar live in the border areas with Sweden – and migration from Swedish forests makes it nearly impossible to reach zero.

The figures come from NINA's latest monitoring of the wild boar population during the 2024/2025 hunting season. Norway has been trying to reduce the population for some time, primarily due to the damage that wild boar can cause. But the population remains stable at the same level each year.

— Wild boar can damage crops and spread diseases to domestic pigs, which can harm the industry. That's why Norway wants to eradicate the species, says Inger Maren Rivrud, researcher at NINA, to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.

Behind Norway's difficulties in eliminating the wild boar is primarily the large population on the other side of the border. In Sweden, there are over 300,000 wild boar, and nearly 120,000 animals are shot each year without the population decreasing significantly.

Swedish biologist Marcus Öhman has previously proposed that wild boar meat should be served in public institutions as part of the solution. For Norway, the Swedish population means that animals constantly migrate across the border.

— Even if we eliminate all of them in Norway, wild boar will still come from Sweden. Keeping the population at zero will be nearly impossible, says Rivrud.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Environment Agency have previously proposed that a fence should be built along the border in areas where most wild boar migrate. But according to Rivrud, extensive hunting efforts are also required for the population to decrease.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/more-children-born-in-norway-for-second-consecutive-year/

Norway

More children born in Norway for second consecutive year

Published November 12, 2025 – By Editorial staff

Photo: Aditya Romansa/Unsplash

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Birth rates in Norway are rising for the second consecutive year after reaching a historic low in 2022, according to new statistics from the Medical Birth Registry. Despite the increase, too few children are still being born.

Last year, 54,472 children were born in Norway, representing an increase of 3.6 percent compared to the previous year. This stands in stark contrast to 2022, when the country had the lowest number of births in many decades.

— Whether this is a trend, we are uncertain, but more children are being born now than in previous years, says senior physician Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.

Larger birth cohorts reaching parenting age

Thomsen points to a demographic explanation. Around 40 years ago, birth cohorts in Norway were small, but those born in the late 1980s and into the 1990s were significantly larger. It is this generation that is now at the age when many choose to start families.

— It may be that they have now decided to have children, says Thomsen.

Despite the increase, only 1.44 children are born per woman in Norway. For the population to replace itself, approximately 2.1 children per woman are required. The average age for first-time mothers is now almost 32 years.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/norwegian-buyers-rush-to-purchase-electric-cars-before-the-new-year/

Norway

Norwegian buyers rush to purchase electric cars before the New Year

Published October 31, 2025 – By Editorial staff

Photo: go-e/Unsplash

Norway is a world leader when it comes to electric cars. The VAT exemption, which has driven the development, is now being phased out.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Car dealers in Norway report sharply increased demand since the government proposed lowering the VAT exemption threshold for electric cars. Many buyers therefore want to register their cars before the turn of the year.

Norway has had a VAT exemption for certain electric cars for an extended period, aimed at enabling more Norwegians to invest in one. In its budget proposal for next year, which the Norwegian government presented in early October, it now wants to lower the threshold for VAT exemption on electric cars.

Currently, the threshold for VAT exemption on an electric car is 500,000 Norwegian kroner (approximately €42,000), but the proposal would lower it to 300,000 Norwegian kroner (approximately €25,000). If the change is approved, it will take effect on January 1, 2026, with the goal of completely eliminating the VAT exemption by 2027.

— We have had a goal that all new passenger cars should be electric by 2025, and with an electric car share of 95 percent this year, we can say the goal has been achieved in practice. Therefore, it is time to phase out the benefits, said Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg in a press release, according to alltomelbil.se.

In practice, this means that an electric car in the price range of €42,000 will become approximately €4,200 more expensive after the turn of the year. The only way to avoid the new fee is to have the car registered before the proposal takes effect.

Importing from Sweden

Following the announcement, the country's car dealers now report increased demand for electric cars. Volvo Car Norway describes the situation as a period of "very strong demand" from customers who want to secure a car before the change takes effect.

— We are now working to meet the demand, including by sourcing cars from other markets, such as Sweden, says Henrik Juel Teige, press contact at Volvo Car Norway, to Norwegian Motor.

Ford and Tesla in Norway also confirm the trend and say that more customers are asking questions and placing orders. The importer Harald A. Møller, which represents Audi, Cupra, Skoda and Volkswagen, has chosen to meet the demand with a special VAT guarantee – customers who enter into a new agreement with the company from October 28 until next year's state budget is approved will be covered for any VAT increase.

— To handle the great uncertainty we see, we are prepared to cover any VAT increases for customers who order a new car from our brands now, before next year's state budget is approved, says CEO Ulf Tore Hekneby.

The final decision will be made in December when the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) votes on next year's budget.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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