Martin Bech Holte

The country that got too rich

The number one best seller everyone is talking about. In eight weeks, the total print run for The country that got too rich has reached 53,000 copies. Book sellers cannot remember last time a non-fiction book sold so much so quickly.

“When the state is overflowing with money, and most people feel that they have worse living conditions than a few years back, then something is not right,” says Martin Bech Holte. So why are the economic arrows pointing downwards? In 2013 Noway had the best combination of prosperity, health and happiness in the world. Then economic growth was replaced by stagnation. The Norwegian state is rich, but the petroleum fund is used in a way that gives rise to a number of consequential errors: Public expenditure is constantly growing. Norwegian and foreign capital are fleeing the country. The NOK is weaker than ever. Norwegian consumers believe the state is saving money for them, and have sky-high private debt at great risk. Without the rocket engine the economy needs, the result will instead be a persistent downturn. There is a way back to healthy wealth growth. But is there leadership to find it in time?