"Think what a great country we were together," he told the newspaper Göteborgs-Posten, praising Sweden's capacity for innovation and Norway's sense of adventure.
"Sweden is a great country in many ways. It is great in innovation in technology, and Swedes have a mindset for industry. In Norway, we are perhaps more adventurous. We are not afraid to go into uncharted waters. Just look at Roald Amundsen," Stordalen told the Swedish daily.
Trevlig tanke 😀 Dags för folkomröstning? Stordalen: Slå ihop Sverige och Norge https://t.co/iWglKvKvWd #Expressen via @Expressen
— Eva Hamlin (@silla8) May 18, 2016
"About 10 million people live in Sweden. Norway and Denmark have five million each. Twenty million would have been even better when it comes to selling cars, airplanes, or innovation," he told Göteborgs-Posten.
Stordalen's hotel business has expanded enormously over the years in Sweden. In Gothenburg alone (the country's second largest metropolitan area), he opened the luxurious Hotel Post and took over the famous Avalon hotel.
#17 #mai och #Petter #Stordalen vill slå ihop Norge och Sverige. Han har kanske stöd av ytterligare 3-4 norrmän ;-) https://t.co/HG3xFq4ERF
— Krister Maconi (@KMaconi) May 17, 2016
Swedish tweeter Eva Hamlin wrote: "Nice idea. Time for a referendum?" whereas tweeter KMaconi ventured that Stordalen's plan would be backed up by three-four Norwegians at best. Another tweeter suggested that Stordalen should start by giving his employees a decent salary first.
Petter Stordalen has an estimated personal wealth of 1.2 billion dollars, stemming from investments in hotels, shopping centers and other property. Through his company Nordic Choice Hotels, Stordalen owns in excess of 170 hotels and employs more than 9,200 people.
Stordalen vil slå sammen Norge, Sverige og Danmark. Hva med å gi dine ansatte en anstendig lønn først, Petter?
— Xabilution (@prygelknabe) May 18, 2016
