Britain could become a new Norway: Ex-Finnish PM

NEW DELHI, 15/10/2013: Alexander Stubb, Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade of Finland, at the India-Finland FIND conference in New Delhi on October 15, 2013. ONGC and Finland’s clean technology firm, Chempolis, have signed an agreement at the conference to produce ethanol, bio chemicals and bio-coal from biomass residual matters that would reduce India’s dependence on imports. Photo: Ramesh Sharma

Britain will get a Norway-type deal to keep close economic ties with the European Union (EU) but will have no say on decision-making in the bloc after Brexit materialises, Finland’s former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said on Sunday.

Mr. Stubb, who served as Finland’s Prime Minister in 2014-15, said the EU should not push Britain into quickly launching a formal exit procedure.

Mr. Stubb, who held several EU jobs and was most recently Finland’s Finance Minister until his party sacked him earlier this month, said the new deal between Britain and the bloc should keep maximum economic integration possible and pointed to non-EU member Norway as the example.

“We should try to keep Britain as close as possible but they will not have the possibility to influence decision-making. The UK will become a new Norway,” he said.