The second center of opposition developed in Norway's small communities elsewhere. Over half the Norwegian population lives in communities of less than 2500 persons. Life is good in such communities: Norwegian migration in the past two decades has been to such communities from the farms and hamlets, rather than to large centers. This has been a consequence of policy as much as of demography neither urban nor rural Norwegians wish to see the type of migration from farm to city which the Common Agricultural Policy is foreing on the Continent.
The third major group opposing membership consisted of the environmentalists, the ideological left, those favoring regional cooperation with Sweden and the rest of the Nordic grouping over cooperation with the Continent, and those stressing nationalism pure and simple. All opposed bigness, technocracy and decisions being made about Norway by non-Norwegians, decisions that heretofore had been made in democratic form being made by bureaucrats and technicians.
The issue split the Christian Peoples Party and Liberal Party down the middle, it enormously enhanced the stature of former (1965-71) Prime Minister Per Borten--whose own government had, albeit hesitantly, negotiated conditions of EC membership it provided the far-left Young Turks in the labor movement with support against the leadership of much of the rank and file.
HAS A NEW NORWEGIAN coalition developed? The far left certainly hopes so it would like to see the momentum continue to the extent that Norway withdraw its NATO membership standing then either alone or within a closer partnership with Sweden Others in the anti-EEC coalition most certainly do not wish to see this happen Ideally, they wish access to the Common Market no less advantageous for Norway's industrial exports than would have been possible as a Member, but with firm Norwegian control of agricultural trade and with no concessions whatsoever to the Treaty of Rome.
But for the coming weeks--and indeed for the coming year--Norway may be, in effect, leaderless. Certainly the legitimacy of those in leadership positions will be questioned. If the anti-Marketeers actually form a Government (resigning Prime Minister Brattell will ask that his Center Party predecessor, Mr. Borten, make the attempt), that Government will represent considerably less than one-third of the Parliament. But no other alternative seems possible if neither Labor nor the Conservatives are prepared to refute their prereferendum positions and pledges.
Danes vote in their own referendum on Market membership today. Already the "Europe of the Ten" hailed with fanfare in Brussels in the winter is reduced to nine. After Monday the number could be eight. And negative popular votes in both Denmark and Norway would certainly increase pressure on the British government to submit its own membership policy to the voters. The weeks between now and the January 1 date for formal accession of the new members may be more eventful than had been anticipated.