Norway – Princess Märtha Louise of Norway was ever the proud aunt on Instagram on her only niece’s 18th birthday.
To mark Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s coming of age, Princess Märtha Louise posted a heartfelt message on her Instagram page with personal photos to show their close bond.
The Princess said: “Congratulations on the day, you beautiful young woman. You are brave, funny, wise, reflective, vulnerable and weird. I’m so glad we as a family are doing so well together. That we can laugh and cry together – and discuss whatever it may be. I love you so much. We look forward to celebrating you big sometime in the future!”
Märtha Louise’s boyfriend, Shaman Durek Verrett, also commented on the post: “Happy Birthday Princess Ingrid, love and miss you.”
Princess Ingrid Alexandra turned 18 on 21 January and is now able to serve as Regent, if that is ever required. She attended her first Council of State meeting on her birthday and has met with the various branches of government.
She is second in line to the Norwegian throne behind her father, Crown Prince Haakon. Princess Märtha Louise is the elder sister of Haakon, but due to succession laws at the time of their births, Haakon is heir to the throne instead of his older sister. Princess Märtha Louise is fourth in the line of succession.
NordenBladet – To mark her 18th birthday, King Harald of Norway has appointed his granddaughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, to the highest civilian order in Norway.
Harald has appointed Ingrid Alexandra to the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. The order dates back to 1847, when it was created by King Oscar I to honour King Olav II. Olav II was posthumously named St Olav, as he was canonised after his death which then helped spread Christianity amongst Norse populations.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra was made a Grand Cross of the Order. Following the Grand Cross members, there are two divisions of Commander (Commander With Star and Commander) and then two divisions of Knight (Knight 1st Class and Knight).
According to the Norwegian court, the medal is:
“The Insignia of the Order is a white-enamelled Maltese cross made of gold. In its centre is a crimson medallion encircled by a blue and white ring. The obverse of the medallion bears the Norwegian lion in gold, and on the reverse is the motto of King Oscar I “Ret og Sanhed”, meaning “Justice and Truth”. In the four corners between the arms of the cross is a Gothic O of gold surmounted by a crown.”
Both of the Princess’s parents, Crown Prince Haakon and his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, have both been appointed to the Order of St. Olav.
The King also gave the Princess King Harald V’s House Order (a portrait pin). It is currently the only Royal Family Order in Norway and is awarded to female members of the Norwegian Royal Family.
Harald presented his granddaughter with both orders at a private ceremony on Friday, 21 January.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra will be the second Queen regnant of Norway, following Queen Margaret in the medieval period. To mark her historic birthday, she also attended a cabinet meeting with her grandfather; it was the first time an heir who is not directly in line for the throne attended.
NordenBladet —According to Iceland’s state holding company, ISFI, the country is set to sell its sixty-five percent stake in Íslandsbanki over the next two years.
In 2021, Iceland sold off thirty-five percent of its ownership in Íslandsbanki, which was the country’s largest-ever IPO. Now, the ISFI has announced that it has formally submitted the sale proposal to the Finance Ministry.
The current market value of the band is around $1.95 billion, which has risen by thirty percent since June’s initial public offering.
The ISFI has stated that it would only sell the stake if market conditions worked in its favour, with a part of the proceeds going towards funding the country’s infrastructure.
Islandsbanki’s current share is roughly a third of the domestic market.
In their joint appeal to Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Gerald E. Connolly and the committees in charge of foreign and defence policy in the parliaments of NATO Allies, the Chairmen of the Committees on National Security and Defence and the Committees on Foreign Affairs of the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland expressed concern over the severe security threats faced by all NATO member countries in light of the recent meeting of the NATO-Russia Council.
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Committees on National Security and Defence and the Committees on Foreign Affairs of the Parliaments of the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, and the Republic of Poland, let us express our concern over the severe security threats faced by all NATO member countries in light of the recent meeting of the NATO-Russia Council.
Over the years, Russia has used military aggression against its neighbours, violated international law and spread instability in Eastern Europe and beyond. Then, in December 2021, Russia put forward a set of proposals for “legally binding security guarantees” that the Kremlin was seeking from the West, written in a language that borders on the ultimatum. The demand for the contentious security guarantees followed soon after Western governments alerted the public that Russia had massed over 100,000 troops on its side of the border with Ukraine, a move that could signal an imminent invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s list of demands and proposals undermine the fundamentals of the international legal system, restrict the right to self-determination of states and go against the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-violability of internationally recognised borders.
The proposal to cease the NATO Open Door policy stands against the nation-state right to choose the Alliances and undermine Article 10 of the Washington Treaty. Russia has no right to veto NATO’s decisions, nor can it impose its will upon the Alliance it is not a member of. The right to choose the Alliances must be granted to Ukraine, Georgia, and other countries that express such intention.
The proposals for the creation of incident prevention mechanisms, for “restraint in military planning”, and for refraining from conducting “military exercises or other military activities above the brigade level in a zone of agreed width and configuration on each side of the borderline of the Russian Federation”, undermine the Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and impose the zones of different defence guarantees within the Alliance.
The proposal for restrictions on deploying land-based intermediate and short-range missiles would restrict NATO’s territorial collective defence and result in Russia’s escalation dominance in the region.
We are very much concerned about linking the goals of strengthening Eastern Europe’s security and defence with possible Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. We cannot trade our deterrence and collective defence with Russia, including restrictions on NATO exercises in our region or Allied presence. We must continue NATO deterrence and defence adaptation based on the need to fully implement the Warsaw Summit decisions and subsequent agreements on NATO readiness and rapid reinforcement.
Russia has no right to restrict NATO collective defence and deterrence posture and planning. The current situation is asymmetric and cannot be taken as a baseline for any possible debate on any possible reductions, limitations or unilateral restraints from the NATO side. Over the few years, Russia has significantly modernised and increased the entire range of its capabilities multiple times, improved the readiness of its troops, and developed A2/AD systems. The Alliance is still in a phase of development of its deterrence and defence posture. Therefore, any limitations on NATO posture would only legitimise Russia’s regional military dominance and undermine NATO as a collective defence alliance.
The Baltic Region is facing a massive increase of the Russian military presence close to the NATO border and the most recent Russian-Belarus military integration. Russia’s aggression against neighbouring states, now coupled with the tight integration of Russian and Belarusian militaries, pose a significant threat to the region.
We should not allow Russia to destabilise NATO by dividing the Alliance and undermining NATO cohesion and resolve. The territory and security of NATO are indivisible. The indivisibility of the Alliance is fundamental for Euro-Atlantic security and stability. Russia seeks to attain military advantage in Europe by deterring and decoupling the United States from its European Allies and gaining military domination. NATO must continue strengthening its deterrence and defence posture to respond to the threats and challenges stemming from Russia.
Given the principles mentioned earlier, we must reject Russia’s attempts to undermine European security in the strongest possible way. The division of spheres of influence, the restrictions on national sovereignty, and self-determination are harmful to European and Transatlantic security.
The only condition for dialogue must be based on real de-escalation and Russia refraining from massive build-up near Ukraine. Russia’s aggression in and around Ukraine cannot be tolerated or legitimised. The NATO dialogue with Russia must be conditions, not calendar-driven. NATO-Russia engagement depends on Russia’s willingness to engage in a constructive dialogue, but it cannot lead to business as usual. NATO must sustain and strengthen its deterrence and defence adaptation by pursuing dialogue with Russia.
In light of these dangerous trends, we must remain united, work together to strengthen the transatlantic partnership and increase the role of NATO. Therefore, to show the unity of the Alliance against the aforementioned threats, we call on you to support the position set out above.
NordenBladet – It is an important day for the Norwegian Royal Family as the elder child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, celebrates her 18th birthday.
The Princess, who is now of age to serve as Regent if required, will one day be Norway’s second female monarch after Queen Margaret who reigned in the 1300 and 1400s.
Ingrid Alexandra was born in the National Hospital on 21 January 2004 in Oslo. She joined big brother Marius Borg Høiby, her mother’s son from a previous relationship, to make the Crown Prince Family a family of four. They were later joined by a younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, in 2005.
She was christened in the Royal Chapel of the Royal Palace of Oslo on 17 April 2004 with her grandfather, King Harald; paternal aunt, Princess Princess Märtha Louise; maternal grandmother, Marit Tjessem; Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark; Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden; and the Prince of Asturias (now King Felipe of Spain) serving as godparents.
Ingrid Alexandra began her education at Jansløkka Elementary School before transferring to the private English-language Oslo International School in 2014. She completed her lower secondary education at Uranienborg School before entering Elvebakken Upper Secondary School. University plans have not been announced.
She has undertaken a few royal duties throughout her life, and now that she’s 18, the Royal Court has said she would support the Royal Family with official engagements; however, her education will come first.
As a result of her future role and the preparation it entails, she already has an office in the Royal Palace, and images of the Princess were released to the media in the room ahead of her 18th birthday.
The day before coming of age, Princess Ingrid Alexandra met with various members of the government and judiciary.
Today, she will receive congratulations from the government, diplomatic corps and others today at the Royal Palace alongside her parents. Official photos of the young royal were also released today to mark the occasion.
Educational plans and engagements for Ingrid Alexandra will be announced in due course.
NordenBladet – Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) announced today that Nasdaq´s European markets delivered a historic 2021 with several all-time highs in its listings and trading businesses across the Nordic and Baltic regions.
Solidifying Nasdaq´s Position as Europe´s Premier Listings Hub
The Nasdaq equity markets in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Baltic countries welcomed 219 new equity listings to its markets, including 174 initial public offerings (IPOs), raising a total of EUR 13.5 billion in risk capital. Notable listings include Volvo Cars, the third largest listing in Europe in 2021, which raised EUR 2.1 billion, Storskogen Group (EUR 1.3 billion) and Vivian Group (EUR 720 million).
“In 2021, we saw continued strength in the capital markets with a record number of companies transitioning to public markets. We are proud to be the public market-of-choice for companies and investors alike across the Nordic and Baltic region,” said Adam Kostyál, Head of European Listings at Nasdaq. “The ability to provide many small and medium sized companies active in the region with an international investor base, while also supporting global large cap listings such as Volvo Cars is what makes us unique. We are committed to empowering our community of innovative and entrepreneur-led companies with access to a diverse deep market intelligence, increased visibility and ESG solutions to support their long-term success and growth.”
Record trading volumes drive product expansion and education
Building on the strong momentum in 2020, Nasdaq saw trading volumes in most of its European markets increase in 2021, with share trading increasing 7.1% to a daily average of just under 4 billion Euros across all markets. Nasdaq maintained a market share of 77% of lit and auction trading in its listed shares, while continuing to reinforce its leadership in the Nordic derivatives market, including Norway, where Nasdaq has a achieved a 76% market share in single stock options. Throughout 2021, Nasdaq launched a number of products and services to further support the trading community, including options on the OMXS30 ESG index.
Continuing to lead in ESG through investments and innovation
In 2021, Nasdaq continued to invest in strengthening its environmental, social and governance (ESG) capabilities. In June, Nasdaq acquired a majority stake in Puro.earth, a global marketplace for carbon removal. In 2021, Puro.earth´s trading volumes for CO2 removal certificates (CORCs) increased 361% compared to the year before.
New listings on the Nordic Sustainable Debt Markets grew by 74% compared to 2021 with a record 132 listings. The total volume of bonds listed on the Nordic & Baltic Sustainable Debt Markets was 40 billion EUR by the end of 2021. Sustainable bonds now make up almost a third of the corporate bonds listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Nasdaq´s data service, Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network, also continues to expand and now contains data on more than 9400 sustainable bonds from more than 70 countries.
“Nasdaq’s record performance in 2021 is a testament to the strength, vibrancy and innovation in the Nordic and Baltic region, as well as our ability to leverage our technology leadership, marketplace excellence and strong commitment to sustainability to create a capital market offering for both companies and investors that is unparalleled in Europe,” said Bjørn Sibbern, President, European Markets at Nasdaq. “In 2022, we will continue to work together with our clients in order to build onto this momentum and further evolve some of the best performing markets in the world.”
SELECTED 2021 EUROPEAN HIGHLIGHTS
LISTINGS
Nasdaq welcomed 219 equity new listings (among them 174 initial public offerings), raising a total of EUR 13.5 billion. This is a 209 percent increase from 45 IPOs and 79 listings in 2020. The achievement positions Nasdaq as a leading European exchange operator, with the highest number of listings in the Europe in 2021. A total of 1235 companies are currently listed at Nasdaq in Europe.
Market by market, Nasdaq Stockholm saw its best year on record, (150 listings) while Nasdaq Helsinki broke its old record from 1999 (28 listings) with a total of 31 listings in 2021. Nasdaq Copenhagen managed 24 IPOs in 2021, making it the best IPO year since 2007.
Nasdaq Stockholm becomes leading marketplace in the European Union: Nasdaq Stockholm is the single market that has raised the largest amount of capital in the European Union, representing a total of EUR 10.9 billion. Nasdaq Stockholm is also the marketplace that has attracted the most IPOs throughout 2021 within the union, with a total of 111, representing a market of EUR 49 billion.
Introduction of SPACs, Special Purpose Acquisition Companies: In May 2021, Nasdaq welcomed its first SPAC with the listings of ACQ Bure. Since then, Nasdaq´s European markets have welcomed a total of six SPACs, raising a total of EUR 1 billion.
European companies listing in the US: During 2021, Nasdaq´s European markets has supported six European companies to list with Nasdaq in the US: Oatly Group AB (OTLY), Olink Holding AB (OLK), Eco Wave Power Global AB (WAVE), Allarity Therapeitics (ALLR), Evaxion Biotech (EVAX) and IO Biotech (IOBT). Additionally, Nasdaq US welcomed 22 SPACs from Europe.
TRADING
Share trading increased by 7.1 % to a daily average of 3.987bn EUR, compared to 3.723bn EUR in 2020. The average number of trades per business day increased by 5.8 % to 901,009 as compared to 851,810 in 2020.
Educational efforts to Increase Financial Literacy: Across the Nordics and Baltics, Nasdaq has initiated programs and collaborations to support financial literacy, investor protection and financial inclusion. The financial literacy initiative involves partnerships and initiatives with third party organizations that seek to equip retail investors of all backgrounds and ages with the knowledge and skills to manage their money effectively. The various projects include sharing knowledge about Social Media’s impact in the stock market, developing of investment apps educating children and arranging webinars on savings, trading and investments.
Nasdaq signed a deal with Swedish fintech company Sequitor to produce an exchange system simulation service based on Sequitor technology. The service gives customers access to full-scale, high-performance replicas of exchange test systems to offer Nasdaq´s global clients better tools for understanding and optimizing their system performance in private sessions, allowing for repeatable replay, which leads to reduced risk and potentially lowering testing costs.
SUSTAINABILITY
In November, Nasdaq launched options on its OMXS30 ESG Index. With the new contracts, Nasdaq’s European ESG derivatives offering now includes both options and futures contracts based on the world´s first ESG benchmark index, which has grown into one of the most traded ESG indexes in Europe since its launch in 2018.
In fall, Nasdaq launched Green Designations to support increased visibility and transparency for companies toward investors looking for sustainable investments.
NordenBladet — Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen will visit Warsaw on Monday 24 January. There, she will meet with her Polish counterpart, Minister for European Affairs Konrad Szymański, and with the Head of Poland’s National Security Bureau, State Secretary Paweł Soloch. The ministers will have a wide-ranging discussion on the current EU agenda and issues related to European security.Ministers Tuppurainen and Szymański will discuss the EU’s objective of reducing emissions by 55 per cent by 2030, the development of the single market, efforts to promote open and rules-based trade policy, the rule of law, and the ongoing work to develop the EU’s crisis preparedness. Ministers Tuppurainen and Szymański are colleagues on the EU General Affairs Council, which prepares the meetings of the European Council and regularly deals with issues related to the rule of law.The topic of Minister Tuppurainen’s discussion with the Head of the National Security Bureau of Poland, State Secretary Paweł Soloch, will be the security situation in Europe. Items on their agenda will include the situation in Ukraine and Belarus and the development of EU-NATO cooperation. The ministers will also discuss the security situation in the Baltic Sea region and progress on developing the EU’s Strategic Compass. The Strategic Compass will determine the direction of the EU’s security and defence cooperation and clarify its objectives over the next 5 to 10 years.“Poland is a key partner for Finland. Constructive dialogue between our two countries is topical and important. We share a common interest in developing the EU single market, and Poland plays a significant role in ensuring security in the Baltic Sea region. During the visit, we will also discuss issues related to the rule of law,” said Minister Tuppurainen.
NordenBladet — On the day of the county elections, 23 January 2022, eligible voters may only vote at the polling station mentioned in the notice of right to vote sent to them.Information on the election day polling station can be found in the notice of right to vote. Voters can also check their election day polling station in the Polling station service at www.aanestyspaikat.fi or call the free-of-charge Elections helpline (0800 9 4770) to ask about their polling station. The notices of right to vote were sent to all eligible voters in December. The notice was sent in electronic format to those eligible voters who have activated the Suomi.fi Messages service and given their consent for all official messages to be sent to them electronically. In connection with the county elections, an electronic notice of right to vote was sent to a total of 599,127 eligible voters. The voting register for the 2022 county elections was compiled based on the data contained in the Population Information System on 3 December 2021. If a person has moved after 3 December, the polling station is determined in accordance with the previous place of residence. Information about county elections and voting is available on the elections website of the Ministry of Justice at www.electionsfinland.fi Electionsfinland.fi: Voting on election day Electionsfinland.fi: Instructions for voters during COVID-19 Polling stations on the map www.aanestyspaikat.fi
NordenBladet — Just before the informal meeting of energy ministers in Amiens, France, on 21–22 January, Finland and nine other EU Member States submitted a letter to the European Commission and to the French Presidency expressing their concerns about the bioenergy sustainability criteria.The Commission presented its revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) only two weeks after the directive’s newly adopted provisions on bioenergy sustainability were implemented in national legislation. Therefore, as pointed out in the letter, it is too early to revise the bioenergy sustainability provisions.The proposed revision also introduces additional controversial requirements on bioenergy and increases the administrative burden and cost considerably. According to the signatories, the Commission’s new proposal fails to sufficiently take into account the national characteristics concerning forest management practices, geographical location and the energy production of the Member States. As stated in the letter, potential challenges related to forest use and biodiversity need to be solved primarily by other means than amending bioenergy sustainability criteria legislation again. The letter also expresses particular concern about the EU’s investment certainty. There is a clear risk that frequent revisions and new requirements send investors a message to avoid investments in bioenergy just when investments are most needed for the EU’s ambitious climate targets and green energy transition.The letter was signed by the responsible ministers of Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. On behalf of Finland, the letter was signed by Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.
NordenBladet — The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will fund the European Digital Innovation Hubs selected from Finland for the first three years. The hubs support businesses and the public sector in the utilisation and deployment of digital solutions.The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment pledges to co-finance European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) selected from Finland for the first three years of their operation. The national co-financing contributes to 30% of the costs of each selected hub, up to a total of EUR 3,709,200. The aim is to select four EDIHs from Finland, which means that the maximum funding is EUR 927,000 for each hub.“Companies will receive new type of support for their digital development from the European Digital Innovation Hubs. At the same time, a large number of Finnish companies and organisations will become members of the EDIH consortia and become members of the European network, which will play an important role in supporting the digital green transition,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.Half of the funding for the EDIHs comes from the EU’s new Digital Europe Programme, which has allocated EUR 320 million to EDIHs’ activities in the first three years. Finland’s share of this funding is about EUR 6.2 million. The planned operating period of EDIHs is seven years and the funding reserved for Finland for that period amounts to approximately EUR 14.8 million. The national co-financing now approved will cover 30% of the hubs’ costs, while the remaining 20% must be funded by the hubs themselves. Hubs for EU-wide network to be selected from among the national candidatesFinland’s candidates for the European Digital Innovation Hubs were selected on 1 March 2021 based on an open call. The candidates are: • 5STAR eCorridors (DIMECC Oy) • FAIR – Finnish AI Region (coordinator City of Helsinki) • HealthHub Finland (Turku Science Park Oy) • Location Innovation Hub (LIH) (National Land Survey of Finland/Finnish Geospatial Research Institute FGI) • Robocoast EDIH Consortium (Prizztech Oy) • SIX Manufacturing EDIH (Tuotekehitys Oy Tamlink) • WellLake EDIH (Business Jyväskylä)Finland’s EDIHs will be selected in an EU-wide call, which will close on 22 February 2022. The hubs function as service points that boost digital investment and, in particular, the digitalisation of SMEs. The activities of the hubs must be non-profit making. The selected hubs will form an EU-wide network of around 200 hubs. With the help of the network, services can be procured across national borders. The first hubs are set to be launched on 1 September 2022. In Finland, the EDIHs are part of the Artificial Intelligence 4.0 programme that boosts business operations.
