Politics of Norway

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Politics and government of
Norway
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Politics of Norway takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy, whereby the prime minister is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the King and his Council. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Storting. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Contents

 Constitutional development

The Norwegian constitution, signed by the Eidsvoll assembly on 17 May, 1814, transformed Norway from being an absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy. The 1814 constitution granted rights such as freedom of speech (§100) and rule of law (§§ 96, 97, 99). Important amendments include:

  • November 4, 1814: Constitution reencated in order to form a personal union with the king of Sweden.
  • 1851: Constitutional prohibition against admission of Jews lifted.
  • 1884: Parliamentarism has evolved since 1884 and entails that the cabinet must not have the parliament against it (an absence of mistrust, but it need not have its express support), and that the appointment by the King is a formality when there is a clear parliamentary majority. This parliamentary rule has the status of constitutional custom. All new laws are passed and all new governments are therefore formed de jure by the King, although not de facto. After elections reulting in no clear majority, the King appoints the new government de facto.
  • 1887: Prohibition against Jesuits and monastic orders lifted.
  • 1898: Universal male suffrage established.
  • 1905: Union with Sweden dissolved.
  • 1913: Universal suffrage established.
  • 1956: Religious freedom formalised.
  • 2004: New provision on freedom of expression, replacing the old § 100.
  • 2007: Removed the old system of division into the Odelsting and Lagting (will take effect after the 2009 general election). Changes to the Court of Impeachment. Parliamentary system now part of the Constitution (previously this was only a constitutional custom) (new § 15).

 Executive branch

Main office holders
Office Name Party Since
King Harald V   January 17, 1991
Crown Prince Haakon Magnus    
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg DNA 17 October, 2005
Other government parties   SV, Sp 17 October, 2005

Norwegian politics officially have the structure of a constitutional monarchy, giving the King mainly symbolic power while maintaining a stable Western democracy. The Royal House is a branch of the princely family of Glücksburg, originally from Schleswig-Holstein in Germany.[1] The functions of the King, Harald V, are mainly ceremonial, but he has influence as the symbol of national unity. Although the constitution of 1814 grants important executive powers to the King, these are almost always exercised by the Council of State in the name of the King (King's Council, or cabinet). The reserve powers vested in the Monarch by the constitution are significant and an important security part of the role of the Monarchy, and were last used during World War II. The King is also High Protector of the Church of Norway (the state church), Grand Master of The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, and Supreme Commander of the Norwegian armed forces.

The Council of State is formally convened by the reigning monarch. The Council of State consists of a Prime Minister and his council, formally appointed by the King. Parliamentarism has evolved since 1884 and entails that the cabinet must not have the parliament against it, and that the appointment by the King is a formality. The council must have the confidence of the Norwegian legislative body, known as the Storting. In practice, the monarch will ask the leader of a parliamentary block that has a majority in the Storting to form a government. Since World War II, non-Socialist governments have been coalitions, and Labour Party governments have relied on the support of other parties to retain the necessary parliamentary votes.

The executive branch is divided into the following Ministries:

 Governments 1935–1981

The Labour Party has been the largest party in Parliament ever since the election of 1927 up to the recent 2005 election. Labour formed their first brief minority government in 1928 which lasted for 18 days only. After the 1935 election the Labour Party formed a new minority government, which had to go into exile 1940–45 because of the German occupation of Norway. After a brief trans-party government following the German capitulation in 1945, Labour gained a majority of the seats in parliament in the first post-war election of 1945.

Norway was ruled by Labour governments from 1945 to 1981, except for three periods (1963, 1965–7], and 1972–73). The Labour Party had a single party majority in the Storting from 1945 to 1965. Since then no party has single-handedly formed a majority government, hence minority and coalition governments have been the rule. After the centre-right Willoch government lost its parliamentary majority in the election of 1985, there were no majority governments in Norway until the second Stoltenberg government was formed after the 2005 election.

Kjell Magne Bondevik's second governmentThe former Prime Minister in front.
Kjell Magne Bondevik's second government
The former Prime Minister in front.

 Governments 1981–2005

From 1981 to 1997, governments alternated between minority Labour governments and Conservative-led centre-right governments. The centre-right governments gained power in 3 out of 4 elections during this period (1981, 1985, 1989), whereas Labour toppled those governments twice between elections (1986, 1990) and stayed in power after one election (1993). Elections take place in September and governments change in October of election years.

Conservative leader Kåre Willoch formed a minority government after the election of 1981. In 1983, midway between elections, this government was expanded to a majority three-party coalition of the Conservatives, the Centre Party and the Christian Democrats. In the election of 1985 the coalition lost its majority but stayed in office until 1986, when it stepped down after losing a parliamentary vote on petrol prices.

Labour leader Gro Harlem Brundtland served three periods as Prime Minister. First briefly from February 1981 until the election the same year, then from May 1986 to the election of 1989, and last from November 1990 until October 1996 when she decided to step out of domestic politics. Brundtland strongly influenced Norwegian politics and society during this period and was nick-named the "national mother".

After the election of 1989 a centre-right coalition was formed with the same three parties as in 1983–1986, this time headed by Conservative leader Jan P. Syse. This coalition governed from 1989 to November 1990 when it collapsed from inside over the issue of Norwegian membership in the European Economic Area.

When Brundtland abdicated in 1996, Labour leader Thorbjørn Jagland formed a new Labour government that stayed in office until October 1997 when he, after the September 1997 election, declared that his government would step down because the Labour Party failed to win at least 36.9% of the national vote – the percentage Labour had won in the 1993 election.

A three-party minority coalition of the Centre, Christian Democratic, and Liberal parties, headed by Christian Democrat Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, moved into office in October 1997. That government fell in March 2000 over the issue of proposed gas-fired power plants, opposed by Bondevik due to their impact on climate change.

The Labour Party's Jens Stoltenberg, a Brundtland protégé, took over in a minority Labour government but lost power in the September 2001 election when Labour posted its worst performance since World War I.

Bondevik once again became Prime Minister in 2001, this time as head of a minority coalition of the Conservatives, Christian Democrats and Liberals, a coalition dependent on support from the Progress Party. This government was the first to stay in office for a complete four-year election period since Per Borten's coalition government of 1965–69.

 Current government

A coalition between the Labour Party, Socialist Left Party, and Centre Party, took over government from 17 October, 2005 after the 2005 general election, where this so-called red-green alternative received a majority of 87 out of 169 seats in the Storting.

This is a historical coalition in several aspects; it is the first time the Socialist Left sits in government, the first time the Labour Party sits in a coalition government since the 1945 four-month post-war trans-party government (otherwise in government alone), and the first time the Centre Party sits in government along with socialist parties (otherwise in coalition with conservative and/or other centre parties).

See also the category Norwegian politicians and list of Norwegian governments.

 Legislative branch

Norway has a modified unicameral Parliament or Storting ("Great Council") with members, elected by popular vote for a four year term (during which it may not be dissolved) by the proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies. Suffrage is obtained by 18 years of age; voting rights are granted in the same year as one's 18th birthday.

Stortinget, Oslo
Stortinget, Oslo

The Norwegian parliament, Stortinget, currently has 169 members (increased from 165, effective from the elections of 12 September 2005). The members are elected from the 19 counties for 4-year terms according to a system of proportional representation. The Storting divides itself into two chambers, the Odelsting and the Lagting when voting on legislation. Laws are proposed by the government through a Member of the Council of State or by a member of the Odelsting and decided on by the Odelsting and Lagting, in case of repeated disagreement by the joint Storting. However, in modern time the Lagting rarely disagrees and mainly just rubber-stamps the Odelsting's decision. However, it is considered a unicameral parliament. Before the present Storting is a proposed constitutional amendment which would repeal the division. This division will be abolished following the 2009 general election.

 Political parties and elections

For other political parties see List of political parties in Norway. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Norway.

Elections are to be held every 4 years on the second Monday of September.

 
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