Norway

Official name of country: Kingdom of Norway
Capital: Oslo
Official languages: Norwegian (bokmål and nynorsk) and Sami
Population: 4 920 305 (per 2011)
Size: 385 252 square kilometers
Currency: NOK (Norwegian kroner)
Form of government: Constitutional Monarchy
Head of government: Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg
Head of state: His Majesty King Harald V
Public holidays in 2011: January 1st (New Year’s Day), April 21st (Holy Thursday), April 22nd (Good Friday), April 25th (Easter Monday), May 1st (May Day), May 17th (Constitution Day), June 2nd (Ascension), June 13th (Whit Monday), December 25th and 26th (Christmas).


Government

Norway is a constitutional monarchy ruled by the democratically elected government responsible to the parliament (Stortinget). The position of head of state is hereditary, and both sons and daughters can be appointed as successors to the throne. Currently His Majesty King Harald V is Head of State, and in accordance with the constitution, he rules the country through a weekly council of state-meeting with the government. In practise, the government is the decision maker acting as the King’s councellors, and the monarch has very limited powers under the Norwegian constitution. The King appoints the government, but the government is always formed by a majority of the parliament, or a group that has the parliament’s support.

The Parliament building.          Photo: Stortingsarkivet

A parliamentary system implies that the government is constitutionally answerable to, and dependent on the confidence of the parliament. Thus power originates from the people, through parliament to the executive. This principle is in parliamentary systems around the world ensured by a number of controls, such as a vote of no confidence and the right to call for new elections. In Norway, the prime minister and his cabinet do not need a positive vote in the legislature to form a government and enter office, but if the selected government is believed to have lost the parliament’s confidence, a vote of no confidence can discharge the government, and it is up to the opposition to form a new alternative.

Prime Minister Mr. Jens Stoltenberg. Photo: Stortingsarkivet

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