‘They used to be Vikings’: Norwegian PM & ministers earn praise & ridicule for festive dance video

Norway’s prime minister and members of her cabinet have been roasted in a pyre of internet mockery after performing a creative dance routine to mark the country’s national day.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg and more than a dozen government ministers agreed to dance to a popular children’s song as a lighthearted tribute to the country’s independence day, which is celebrated on May 17. The routine was filmed for a children’s television network, local media reported.

In the clip, Solberg leads her cabinet in hand waving, hip thrusting and flag waving – with some ministers clearly showing more enthusiasm than others. To set a good example, the choreography adhered to social distancing guidelines, with ministers leaving space between each other.

One minister described the dance routine as a “fantastic cultural experience.” Solberg was slightly more grounded in her assessment, explaining the stunt was meant to be “fun” and allow people to “laugh at us a bit.” And that’s exactly what they did.

A Bergen City Council member, who is part of Solberg’s Conservative Party, said that the government should be “embarrassed” by the video. “Simply terrible to look at, and terribly embarrassing. We (and they) should have been spared from this! (And now I’m not ironic),” Henning Warloe wrote on Twitter.

Others suggested that the dance would have received bad reviews from the country’s Nordic ancestors.

Still, there were some who argued that people need to lighten up. “The kids think it’s great. Me too,” noted one Norwegian.

Politicians around the world have endeavored to showcase their dancing abilities in order to “connect” with ordinary people – although it’s still far from clear if such a strategy is effective. Former prime minister Theresa May was mercilessly mocked for her rigid dance moves, which earned her the nickname “MayBot.”

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