"Then Norway wins – and everyone else loses"
She has been singled out as a climate fighter. But Kamala Harris has moderated the rhetoric around fossil fuels. Her choice of path could have major consequences for global energy prices - and for a country in the Nordics.
Kamala Harris was described as a climate activist before she formally became the Democratic presidential candidate. As a prosecutor, she took on large oil companies and in the role of vice president, she has been involved in pushing through a historic investment in green energy.
But in the debate against Donald Trump , which became the only one of the election campaign, there were other voices. She denied that she had plans to stop so-called "fracking", hydraulic fracturing to extract gas and oil, and highlighted that domestic oil production is at record high levels.
Mitchell Downey, lecturer in American economics at Stockholm University, still believes that Kamala Harris could take measures against fossil energy if she is elected president.
- In that case, it is reasonable to believe that the US's energy production will decrease and that this would drive up energy prices, which would affect Europe in a significant way, he says.
If Harris wins the election
- Part 1: The Nordic country can be a winner on Harris' path choice
- Part 2: The risk of violence high if Harris goes for victory
- Part 3: The promise to Ukraine could hang on a Republican
Last week the series was published: " If Trump wins the election "
The winner: Norway?
There is one country that would be grateful for such a development: Sweden's oil-producing neighbor.
- If she changes the Democrats' position on energy and cuts back on fossil fuels to invest more in renewables, then Norway wins and everyone else loses.
Harris's remarks have drawn criticism from climate groups, which believe she missed the chance to be a voice for clean energy. According to Mitchell Downey, there are still question marks about what policies she will actually pursue.
And not only with regard to the energy issue.
So far, Harris has not laid out a comprehensive financial plan. However, she has, among other things, proposed tax deductions for families and first-time home buyers as well as a ban on overpricing of food.
Difficult to push through
The latter has been questioned and called government-controlled price control. Mitchell Downey notes that such a proposal could have dire consequences for the economy if it goes the wrong way.
- If the reason why prices have gone up is due to increased production costs, then it is a disaster to set a price ceiling. If they are not allowed to charge more for the food, the companies will go bankrupt and there will be less food available, he says.
At the same time, he is skeptical about whether the proposals will become reality.
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