High Noon 2025: Northern Debate on Svalbard, Tax Cuts, Norway Seen From Russia, and Dictatorship

Les på norsk.

On Monday, the debates series High Noon starts as part of the True Northern Arts Festival in Harstad, Northern Norway. 

The defense of Svalbard, tax measures to counteract the population decline in Northern Norway, relations with the Russians, and democracy versus dictatorship are among the topics to be discussed over the course of four days.

The debates are led by Arne O. Holm, Editor of High North News. They will take place from 11:30 at the Nordic Pub in Harstad (free entrance), and will also be streamed on HNN's website.

"This year’s topics revolve around the headline ‘Everything is about security’ – and show some of the breadth of challenges that in many ways distinguish Northern Norway from the rest of the world," says Holm and continues: 

"We have solid, knowledgeable, and exciting panelists, as well as artists of different kinds, both on stage and in the motor home, which has become our trademark in recent years. In this way, we build a direct bridge to the True Northern Arts Festival."

"High Noon has been a very exciting project through four whole years. Meeting our readers face-to-face is what a journalist dreams of. Here we receive direct feedback on the work we do year-round for the High North in the High North."

A good framework

"High Noon is a very important project to us in the True Northern Arts Festival. Here, we reflect much of the artistic content and themes of the festival in a high-level societal debate. The debate series gives our audience an insight into highly relevant topics in an inviting and clear way," says Festival Director Ragnheiður Skúladóttir. 

Director of the True Northern Arts Festival, Ragnheiður Skúladóttir. (Photo: Privat)

Each debate features an artist as the primary guest and includes a musical performance. There will be South Sámi yoik and folk music from Northern Norway and Afghanistan. 

"The cooperation with High North News has meant a lot to us in the True Northern Art Festival, both in terms of form and topics. I believe we have succeeded in finding an entertaining and interesting framework together, which is filled with new and exciting content every year," maintains Skúladóttir.

This is her final festival as festival director before Susanne Næss Nielsen takes over.

"The six years as festival director have been very exciting and inspiring. I have met many great people and gained a new perspective on the Arctic. A move back to Iceland awaits me, where I will seek new challenges. My heart will continue to beat for the northern people and our surroundings," says Skúladóttir.

Keywords and lineup

This is to be discussed, and these will contribute throughout the week:

Monday 23.06: Svalbard – Who will defend the actual Arctic?

Svalbard's strategic significance is increasing, and the USA is threatening to leave NATO and wants to buy Greenland. On Svalbard, Russia increases its activities and presence.

Should Norway respond with a greater military presence, and how would NATO respond to a possible military attack?

• Primary guest: Karoline Una Moen, playwright.
• Panel: Terje Aunevik (L), chair of the Longyearbyen Community Council; Amy Brox Webber, county leader of the Finnmark Socialist Left Party and former member of the Norwegian Defense Commission; Stian Bones, history professor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
• Musical performance by Frode Fjellheim, a Norwegian Sámi musician and composer.

Tuesday 24.06: Northern Norway, the new Switzerland?

The population continues to decline in the North, in what is said to be Norway's most important strategic area of investment. Without people, no security; without security, no people.

What would happen if we cut taxes and let the people decide how to spend the money?

• Primary guest: Kristina Johnsen, author, artist, and journalist. She is also behind the project Yderst Europa.
• Panel: Troy Saghaug Broderstad, associate professor of comparative politics at UiT; Sigrid Ina Simonsen, regional director of NHO Arctic; Aili Kristine Kalak Eira, law student at UiT from Karasjok; Raymond Robertsen, group leader for the Conservative Party in the Finnmark County Council.
• Musical performance by Tonje Unstad, a folk artist and songwriter.

Wednesday 25.06: How dangerous is Norway?

What happens when there is no communication between East and West? What do the Russians think of us, and what do we think of them when the knowledge about each other is gone? Northern Norway has added defense and military industry to the list of what we are to live off of in the future.

• Primary guest: Eirik Willyson, author, playwright, and performing artist.
• Panel: Anja Salo, incoming Head of Communications at the Arctic Council Secretariat; Evgenij Goman, producer and curator at Pikene på Broen; Brigadier Steinar Kongshavn, Deputy Chief of Staff Plans at the Norwegian Joint Headquarters.
• Musical performance by Kine Yvonne Kjær, a musician and songwriter.

Tuesday 26.06: Is dictatorship best after all?

What is happening with democracy in Europe? And is the US an autocracy? Is the Western democracy worth defending, or just a costly and burdensome Western luxury?

• Primary guest: Mímir Kristjánsson (R), member of the Norwegian parliament and author.
• Panel: Gro Holm, foreign affairs commentator and journalist at NRK; Halvor Tjønn, journalist, historian, and author; Dag Einar Thorsen, associate professor of political science at the University of Southeast Norway.
• Musical performance by Hamid Sakhizada, a musician from Afghanistan who specializes in the traditional music of the Hazara community and the string instrument, the dambura.