Donald Trump says he loves Norwegians. From his perspective, what’s not to love? They are tall, blonde, blue-eyed and rich. As Vikings, they were fearsome. Now these peace-lovers are a threat to none. Besides, there’s only 5.6 million of them. They also have something that Trump covets—the Nobel Peace Prize that they award annually. Seven years ago, Trump thundered that people from “shithole” countries should be refused entry into the US. But he rolled out the red carpet for Norwegians. Their unanimous response? Thanks, but no thanks. Norwegians love America. But Donald Trump? Not so much. That was then. Now, not at all.
Forget living in the US, Norwegians now don’t even want to go there as tourists. The US was always a top tourist destination, but Trump 2.0 is transformational. The public baiting of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office by Trump and his feral vice president, J.D. Vance crossed limits. Torild Moland, editor of leading travel magazine Vagabond, told Norway’s state television: “The sight of two bullies bullying the president of a country at war is too much. This is unacceptable.” She cancelled her upcoming three-week road trip to the US. “I go to a destination to show how wonderful it is, not what has gone wrong. To promote the US now would be very wrong.”
Imaging: Deni Lal
Since January, there has been a sharp monthly 25 per cent drop in bookings to the US. This increases with reports of US immigration officials harassing legal arrivals. Trump behaves like the top dog, but Norwegians, who empathise with underdogs, prefer a non-violent response to Trumpian threats. “Boycott America”. Travel consultant Anette Syversen says, “Norwegians are choosy consumers. We follow our conscience.” An informal campaign spearheaded by ordinary people is spreading across Canada, Europe and is especially strong in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark). After Trump threatened to seize their autonomous island of Greenland, outraged Danes forcefully initiated a boycott campaign. Says dentist Nina Madsen, “We have to use the power of our wallets. It’s the only weapon we have.”
Europeans are avoiding American goods including biscuits, boats, motorcycles, make-up, cars, cola, computers, popcorn, pharmaceuticals, shoes, soybeans, wine, almonds, ketchup and sports equipment. Oslo was the world’s Tesla capital due to the runaway sales of the car. Now, it is a shame symbol. Tesla sales slumped 48 per cent; in Germany it fell 70 per cent in two months. Sales of European, Japanese and Chinese cars are rising.
When people’s emotions are roused, can politicians be far behind? At their annual convention, Norway’s conservative party chief and former prime minister Erna Solberg urged members to “buy European” to signal disapproval of Trump’s actions. This is perfect for conservative snobs. Observes satirist Kjetil Alstadheim, “Members are thinking French wine and oysters, Spanish serrano ham and sipping chilled chablis on the terrace. Yes, this is the kind of revolution conservatives love.” Let them drink champagne!
But “buy European” has limits. It is hard for nations to switch purchases of fighter jets, frigates, aircraft from the US or shun Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and Netflix. But it is also no sacrifice to boycott American brands. There are many attractive, cheaper local, regional, Chinese, European and global substitutes. As capitalists say, there is “freedom of choice”. Syversen observes, “Opting out of US is easy. The world is full of exciting products and interesting destinations.” Agrees academic Flemming Hagen, “When choosing where to travel, I consider the political situation of the destination.” He has cancelled his US trip. So where is he going instead? He answers, “Lebanon.”
Pratap is an author and journalist.