Gerd Kristiansen, President of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), and Kristin Skogen Lund, Director General of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprises (NHO), have both publicly declared their support for Oslo’s 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic bid.
In an interview with the Norwegian national newspaper VG, Kristiansen, President of LO, the largest and most influential workers’ organization in Norway, expressed her position on why Norway should host the 2022 Games. She said, “…I think sport in the world will benefit from the Olympics in Oslo. I think Oslo and Norway is one of the few places in the world that can manage to bring the Olympics back to a level that is more acceptable”.
Kristin Skogen Lund, Director General of NHO, Norway’s major organization for employers and the leading business lobby with a current membership of more than 22,000 companies, told the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that “yes, hosting the Games is costly”, but “….now Norway has a relatively good economy, and with the growth in population that we currently are facing, we must make the necessary investments. This (the Olympics) could be very positive for the construction industry, the retail business and for tourism, and in addition it will bring good publicity for Norway”.
Kristin Lund agreed with Kristiansen that Norway should be able to host the Olympics at a “much lower price” than the 2014 Sochi Games, and that Norway should “impose requirements on such an event to take place in a sustainable and appropriate way”.
Eli Grimsby, CEO of Oslo 2022 said, “LO and NHO are important organizations with strong and influential positions in the Norwegian society. The support from both Gerd Kristiansen and Kristin Skogen Lund are very inspiring and of great importance to the bid. We welcome their advice and input on how Norway can deliver unforgettable and sustainable Games”.
