How far from reality is the TV show Okkupert? Maybe not that much

In a near future, Norway will elect a Green Party Prime Minister who wants to cut off all fossil fuel production, and replace it with a Thorium-based nuclear energy. When Jasper Berg announces it his plans, he couldn’t imagine the EU reaction: they have him kidnapped and forced him to sign an agreement for maximum capabilities of the oil production. To make sure Norway will honor this agreement, the EU asked Russia to operate a velvet glove invasion of the country and overlook the productivity.

From that moment on the TV show Occupied — or Okkupert — plays off an intriguing plot. The Russia and the EU representatives are bad guys, who show no remorse on misleading, cheating and try to manoeuvre the Norwegian PM on their advantage, while occupying the country. Berg tries to be positive and believes that his allies such as the US will eventually help him out. He could not be more mistaken.

In the show Washington has reached energetic independence and pulled out from NATO. They have no intentions to intervene in a potential war scenario. In the meantime resistance is organized in Norway with high officials’ support who do not believe any longer in the government.

This TV shows has been highly criticized. Norwegians see the plot as disrespectful of their recent history. Russia liberated Norway from Germany in 1944. Moscow condemned the TV series. Critics described the plot as too fantastic. Though, is it really?

The reality is that many Nordic countries fear a possible Russian aggression could come. Especially after the Ukraine and the subsequent Crimea annexation. In the fall Sweden started mobilizing troops  and displace them again in the Baltic sea. The control of that area has become strategically more important because it will determine who is going to dominate the Arctic.

It is no secrets that the relationship between Russia and Norway is not idyllic at the moment.

Another element that should highlight this constant tension is the Pentagon’s budget for 2017. Washington has announced it will quadruplicate the European and Northern spending to $3.4 billions. And the problem is Russia.“While we do not desire conflict of any kind with any of these nations – and let me be clear, though they pose some similar defense challenges they are very different nations and situations – we also cannot blind ourselves to the actions they appear to choose to pursue,” Carter said.

Sometimes fiction is closer to reality than we would want to.