For most of his life, Nils Haugsveit has been between Norway and the Hispanic world, both at work and in his personal life, which gives him a privileged perspective to be listened to with attention. He feels at home in Spain because, according to him, Spain and Norway share much more than what separates them.
By Hannu Arvio
Hannu: You were born in Risør, a town in southern Norway. After several posts in different countries, including those of an ambassador in Buenos Aires and Kabul, you have been in the capital of Spain for about three years now. How are you in Madrid? Have you been able to enjoy all that the city and Spain in general have to offer?
Nils Haugsveit: Madrid is a fantastic city, and I am here with my wife. We enjoy life in Madrid, in all its aspects.
Hannu: Do you have or have you had any connection and/or personal relationship with Spain or Spanish culture?
Nils Haugsveit: During these years, yes, many, of course. We already have Spanish friends, which is something very important in our lives. And we have known many places here in Madrid and in the rest of Spain. I travel quite a lot in my job as an ambassador, but also my wife and I have visited different parts of Spain as tourists during these years, and it has been a wonderful experience in terms of culture, gastronomy… We have visited many wineries and nature spots, and, above all, we have met a lot of people.
Hannu: You speak excellent Spanish. Did you start studying and speaking it a long time ago?
Nils Haugsveit: Yes, although I don’t have a formal degree in Spanish, I started studying it 40 years ago. I am married to a Salvadoran, from El Salvador, in Central America. In the 1980s, I started taking Spanish classes. Then I went to work in Nicaragua and other places, first in Central America and then in South America, for example, as an ambassador in Argentina, among other things. And I have worked a lot in development cooperation in the case of Central America. Gradually, I have been learning Spanish, but you always have to improve the language; you could say that it is the most important tool in my work.
Hannu: A diplomatic question: How are relations between Spain and Norway at present?
Nils Haugsveit: We have very good relations. On the political aspects, we agree on many of the most important issues of international politics. We emphasise the importance of respecting international law and multilateralism: the importance of multilateral institutions and multilateral collaboration. And this is noticeable at the international level, for example, in the United Nations, since Spain and Norway often agree. We have a very active relationship in the cultural sector on different issues. We are also working and expanding trade relations, which is very important. One third of our exports to Spain are seafood products, something that is noticeable in Spanish cuisine. The best example is salmon, but also, in season, skrei, which is a very important product here. Spain is the main export market for skrei. Today, we are working a lot with different industries related to the green transition of the energy sector, in particular. I also want to highlight the importance of tourism, as there are 1.5 million Norwegian tourists visiting Spain every year. For us as an embassy and for the consular part, it is something very important. Both at the level of the embassy and the eleven consulates we have in different parts of Spain. And in many cases, this work requires a very close collaboration with the Spanish authorities at different levels.
Hannu: There are approximately 50,000 Norwegians living in Spain (Statistics Norway). Norwegians seem to like Spain, why do you think that is?
Nils Haugsveit: I guess everyone has their own answer, but in general I think the climate is very much appreciated and also the quality of life. Climate and quality of life in many ways is a very good combination. Among the 50,000 Norwegians there are working people, students, retirees and families. It is a very varied group, with very different reasons for living in Spain.
Hannu: There is also a growing movement of Spaniards to Norway. It is an important country as a tourist destination and more and more Spaniards are living permanently in Norway, today about 10,000 people (Statistics Norway). What is it about Norway that attracts Spaniards to want to settle there?
Nils Haugsveit: Same as in the previous answer, it depends on the individual. As far as tourism is concerned, I think nature is important. Norway, in the European context, is a country that is considered exotic, especially the far north. And for people who live permanently or semi-permanently, I imagine that in some cases they are families or people who have married Norwegians. And also work is an important aspect. We can offer employment in different sectors and that attracts a population group. And I imagine that among those 10,000 Spaniards there are also students. Work and studies I think are the main factors.
Hannu: In Norway, the level of education of Spaniards is one of the highest among those coming from other countries (Statistics Norway). Why is this the case? Does Norway offer jobs for this type of professional?
Nils Haugsveit: We do indeed offer work for this group of professionals. And it probably has something to do with the labour market in Spain and Norway, although we have no concrete information as to why that would be the case.
Hannu: If we talk about the working world, what specifically good things does Norway offer for Spanish professionals?
Nils Haugsveit: The good thing that we offer is work, in some cases, and that in Norway, we have a very good quality of life and social protection. We have security in many ways and a well-organised working life.
Hannu: So let’s say that the attractive thing is the Nordic system.
Nils Haugsveit: Regarding the labour market, it is a very organised society in general. We respect employees’ rights very much, we have a good union system, and in general, the Norwegian labour market and Norwegian companies function very well. In most cases, a lot of benefits are given to workers, which can make them look like attractive companies.
Hannu: In recent years, the immigrant population has seen a strong growth in Norway. What is required to integrate into Norwegian society? Is it necessary to know Norwegian?
Nils Haugsveit: Yes, it is absolutely necessary (to know Norwegian). There are many important things to integrate into any society, but language is fundamental, perhaps the most important thing. I know many people who have integrated into Norwegian society, and without a doubt, the most relevant factor is the language. Without knowing the Norwegian language, it is going to be very difficult to continue integrating in other aspects, and it is simply going to be very difficult to understand the society. Of course, the vast majority of Norwegians speak English quite well, but this does not mean that Norwegian is not important. Norwegian is spoken in most work and social contexts. And that is why language is the key factor, the key to opening the door to Norwegian society. Even if people speak English.
Hannu: Norway is a Nordic country, and Spain is part of the Mediterranean culture and a little bit of the Atlantic culture. Is there any important aspect that differentiates these two countries? And something specific that unites them?
Nils Haugsveit: The only thing I can say is that, of course, the geographical location means that they are two different countries in terms of climate, and that is a big and very concrete difference. We live in two extremes. Climate has its implications for people’s lives. But I have been much more struck by the fact that I think we share many things. I have lived in different parts of the world, I have worked a lot with Latin America and other parts of the world, and perhaps that is why it strikes me that we have so many things in common. I feel at home here in Spain. And I think it has to do with the values we share. It sounds very serious, but it is so that we share values and to a great extent also a social conscience, a perspective, a social vision that I have not found, to the same degree, in any other part of the world. We want to include everyone in society.
Hannu: If someone is interested in Norwegian culture or maybe thinking about moving to Norway, what would you tell them? What kind of advice would you give them?
Nils Haugsveit: The main advice is to learn the language. Because, I repeat, it is the most important thing to understand and integrate into Norwegian society. I am convinced of that. That would be the number one point. And the rest of the points depend on the situation of each one. What they want to do in Norway, what experience they have, where they come from and these things. Maybe a recommendation is that it will depend on the situation and what you want, but if you want to go to Norway to get to know the society and integrate into the country, in general, it would be good to move somewhere not so big, not necessarily the big cities. Live in smaller towns, in a more local context. But of course, if you want to study, you will have to go to the cities, but I think sometimes it is easier to integrate in small places than in the big cities. It depends a lot on your situation and what you want from your stay in Norway.
Hannu: But the fundamental thing is the language, and then it’s up to each individual.
Nils Haugsveit: Language is, and applies to everyone, but you also have to consider the wishes, priorities and experiences of each person. Perhaps I should emphasise that everyone speaks English in Norway, but this does not mean that knowing Norwegian is less important. You can survive with English, but to understand the society and to integrate, knowledge of the Norwegian language is indispensable.
