Norway Parliament Grants Government Limited Emergency Powers

(Bloomberg) --

Norway’s parliament has agreed to give the government emergency powers to fight the coronavirus pandemic, but added restrictions to the administration’s initial proposal, party leaders told reporters in Oslo on Saturday.

The government will have broader scope to change laws without consulting parliament, but the emergency powers will only be valid for one month initially, not the six months proposed by the government, according to a press release from the opposition Labor Party.

It will only take a one-third minority in parliament to overturn government decisions, and all regulations will need to be brought to parliament’s attention immediately.

Separately, lawmakers on Saturday threw their support behind a number of economic measures proposed by the government to limit the fallout from the pandemic.

• NOTE: March 18, Norway’s Government to Seek Emergency Powers to Combat Virus

Story Link: Norway Lawmakers Grant Government Limited Emergency Powers

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