Negociating, or the art of insulting politely

In these days norwegian negociators sit in Brussels face to face with their EU counterparts to renegociate the EEA-treaty that gives Norway (and other major EFTA-countries such as Iceland and Lichtenstein) access to the European inner market. Also today here in Bruges is a workshop in negociation skills organised by the College. Apart from the obvious one, what do these two events have in common? Allow me to put it like this: All english-native speakers or at native level were told they didn't have to participate. The workshop wasn't about negociation techniques, but about language, or in other words who to insult without being insulting, which is pretty much what goes on between the norwegian and EU negociators in Brussels. There the EU wants Norway to pay some extra billion euros a year into the EU financial chest, knowing very well that no matter what sum they may propose, even in these days, the money exists and Norway won't suffer, whilst the norwegians have to make it sound plausable that Norway pays enough already and that there are limits for a what is reasonable to ask for. To summerize, the EU negociators have to tell the norwegians that they're not showing solidarity with the poor eastern-european countries and that they're nothing but a bunch of over-wealthy hillbillies that where soo lucky that they happened to find oil, whilst the norwegians have to explain that the people on the Continent have themselves to thank and that eastern Europe's poverty is non of our responsibility. And whilst doing this, both parties have to remain polite. Hence, the art of negociating.