Ola Borten Moe Gets His Own Cheeky Tune – While Austrheim Defies Report and Pushes Ahead with Nuclear Power

There's something quintessentially Norwegian about writing a cheeky little tune about a member of parliament. Not a mean-spirited song, but rather a quirky humour piece sung at rural gatherings or over a beer at a backyard party. Now Ola Borten Moe has gotten his own – just as the nuclear power debate heats up for real on the west coast.

Because while rumours of A Cheerful Ditty about Ola Borten Moe spread through political corridors, out in the coastal municipality of Austrheim, they're refusing to follow the script. A recent report – which few have read with any joy – concludes the obvious: it will be difficult, expensive and time-consuming. But what did Austrheim do? They stuck their noses in the air and replied: we're carrying on anyway.

When Borten Moe turned a cold shoulder to the atom

Let's take a quick step back. Ola Borten Moe, the former oil and energy minister from the Centre Party, went through a period where he practically had to grip the table to keep from laughing at nuclear power enthusiasts. In several interviews, his tone was ice cold: too expensive, too slow, too complicated. He preferred to bet on renewables and Norwegian hydropower – a safe, old-fashioned line that landed well with many.

But then something happened. The energy crisis, electricity prices that got people riled up at the Storting's podium, and a realisation that the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow. Suddenly, nuclear power didn't seem so dumb after all. Still, many are left with the feeling that the man who could have kicked off the process ten years ago instead chose to look the other way.

"This is a real dose of cold water" – but Austrheim isn't listening

Commentators in one of the country's largest newspapers have described the situation as exactly that: a real dose of cold water. The report that came out last week didn't exactly slaughter the plans, but it gave them a proper cold shower. Cost estimates running wild, challenges with waste management, and a time horizon stretching far beyond the next election cycle.

Yet when a local broadcaster visited Austrheim, the answers were surprisingly clear. The mayor shrugged and pointed to local enthusiasm. "We will continue with our nuclear power plans", was the message. Businesses in the region are cheering. This is no longer about what a report says – it's about building something new, regardless of what they might think in Oslo.

• Local companies see dozens of full-time jobs in research and service.
• Property taxes could stabilise over time – which has homeowners breathing a sigh of relief.
• And then there's the cheerful ditty about Ola Borten Moe, which in local lore is said to be about exactly this contradiction: The man who first said no, and then maybe yes – while the village had already started digging.

"Should have started the job long ago"

On the business pages of the media, the tone is different. There, most write that nuclear power should have started the job long ago. The point is that every day we wait, the next decade gets even more expensive. And when even Germany regrets its nuclear phase-out, and France doubles down, Norwegian hesitation looks petty.

Ola Borten Moe has since tried to moderate his stance. He has said he was never "principally opposed", just practically doubtful. But the cheerful ditty now being sung in small groups on the west coast pokes fun at exactly this: "Ola said no, Ola said yes, Ola said maybe – while Austrheim built anyway."

And that's probably where we stand today. Reports come and go. Politicians flip-flop and call it "new assessments". While out in the municipalities, where people actually need electricity and jobs, they're taking matters into their own hands. Austrheim has already started talking to technology suppliers. The plans are no longer on the drawing board – they're becoming reality.

Maybe the cheerful ditty about Ola Borten Moe will only be a footnote in history. But right now, with nuclear power back on the agenda, it's the small local heroes who are leading the way. And that's worth a song – or at least a good, long feature story.