Norway Politics

Norway's political system stems from its constitution signed originally in 1814 when the system of absolute monarchy was changed to one of a constitutional monarchy. The King even today retains symbolic powers and has symbolic executive power, however in practice it it the Council of State and the Prime Minister who exercises this. Legislative power is vested in the government of the day and the Storting (parliament) and the Judiciary always remains independent of both the Executive and Legislative bodies.

Norway has a a multi-dimensional party system with strong representation from the whole political spectrum. There are the socialist parties, such as the Social Left Party and the Labour Party, or right–wing parties like the Party of Progress and the Conservative Party. The Centre Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Liberal Party occupies the middle of the political spectrum.

Other political parties like moral-religious Christian parties, parties that are especially concerned about regional policy issues or parties that try to protect environmental values are also well represented in the Norwegian political scene.

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