Norway
Norway is high-performing in all categories of the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) framework. It is among the top 25 per cent of countries in the world with regard to every single metric of the GSoD framework, except for Freedom of Movement. Compared to 2018, Norway has declined in indicators of Rights and Rule of Law, in part due to recent cases of politicians being implicated in the improper use of public funds and in conflicts of interest. The country hosts an advanced, competitive economy that is marked both by a vibrant private sector and a large state sector that penetrates some of the country’s most important industries, including petroleum. Returns from the oil and gas sector have allowed Norway to build the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world. This has become a major asset for financing the welfare state - even if limited by strict fiscal policies in its spending. In addition, while Norway has low economic inequality globally, it has recently been on the rise.
Norwegian political culture is based on core values like egalitarianism and corporatism, and is generally characterized by incremental measures. This, in combination with a long tradition coalition governments and a consensual form of decision-making that emphasizes the inclusion of a wide range of interests above majority rule, has resulted in a low level of political polarization. Recently, Norway’s historically stable formula of the same five parties in parliament has been replaced by further party (and issue) plurality. National political competition has been marked by tension between central and local governance, and concerns about the health service, pension reform, growing social differences, security, and the geopolitics of Arctic oil exploration.
The Oil Fund has become the site of growing political tension as over a third of Norwegians have come to conceive of climate change as the country’s biggest political challenge. Beyond climate-related concerns, disapproval of the limited social spending from oil funds has further been a driver of populism among lower-income groups. Such populist sentiments, even if currently in decline, have come to structure debates on both taxation and (later) immigration. Additionally, there has been growing tension between the state’s renewable energy strategy and Indigenous rights. The disadvantaged position faced by some of Norway’s national minorities – most prominently, the Roma people – persists in the labour market and in access to education and cultural resources.
Norwegian women have high levels of educational attainment and labour force participation due to the country’s student financing, parental leave and affordable childcare systems. The rights of LGBTQIA+ communities were recently protected with a 2023 ban on conversion therapy, but threats to their safety continue to be a concern.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch Rights and Social Group Equality, especially with regard to the recent action plans and high levels of funding for projects involving national minorities. It will also be important to watch tensions between the transition to renewable energy and Indigenous rights. In terms of Gender Equality, Norway is weighing the adoption of a consent-based definition of rape, which can lead to more stringent sexual violence provisions. Finally, in view of recent declines in the Rule of Law, it will be important to watch recent constitutional reforms designed to safeguard judicial independence.
Last updated: July 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
May 2024
Parliament approves constitutional amendments to protect judicial independence
On 21 May, Parliament unanimously approved constitutional amendments to improve constitutional protection for the functioning and independence of courts and judges, with 168 votes in favour out of a total 169 seats (one abstention). The amendments are based on recommendations from the Courts Commission, appointed in 2017 under the Ministry of Justice to identify areas where the courts could be vulnerable to abuses of power. The Constitution previously guaranteed the principle of independence of the courts, but the government argues that the judiciary requires further protection against ‘rapid legislative changes from a narrow political majority.’ The amendments enshrine in the Constitution the court hierarchy, particularly to fill a gap in constitutional protections for lower courts; protect the appointment process for judges, particularly the government’s duty, set out in the Courts Act, to obtain a recommendation from an independent council (the Judicial Appointments Board) when appointing judges to guard against political influence; and improve protections for judges from arbitrary transfer or termination.
Sources: Stortinget (1), Stortinget (2), Regjeringen, Stortinget (3), NRK
March 2024
Parties to windfarm dispute reach agreement
On 7 March, Fosen Vind, a joint venture led by state-owned enterprise Statkraft, reached an agreement with the Nord-Fosen siida, a local community of Indigenous Sámi people, over the construction of a windfarm on lands used by Sámi people for centuries for reindeer husbandry. The agreement establishes that the Roan Vind farm can continue its operations and includes provisions for the sustainable continuation of reindeer herding in the region. The agreement allocates wind energy for local purposes, establishes a government grant geared towards supporting Sámi culture, and foresees the designation of area for reindeer grazing in the winter (to be available starting from 2026-2027). In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the windfarm’s construction violated Indigenous rights, and ruled the project illegal unless remedies could be agreed. The Ministry of Energy has mediated the dispute among other stakeholders since April 2023. In December 2023, Fosen Vind reached a partial agreement with the Sør-Fosen sijte for the continued operations of the other site concerned by the court’s ruling, the Storheia windfarm.
Sources: Sametinget, Jurist, Regjeringen (1), Regjeringen (2), Aneo Group, NRK, Constitutional Court
September 2023
Labour party suffers first-time loss in local elections in 99 years
The results of the local elections show a shift towards more conservative local government. After more than a century, conservative opposition parties, including the right-wing anti-immigration Progress Party (FrP), came out ahead. The 11 September polls asked voters to elect representatives for local councils in 356 municipalities and 11 counties. The ruling centre-left Labour party lost ground, marking the first time the party did not place first in local elections since 1924. Labour placed second, declining from 24.9 per cent of the vote in 2019 to 21.7 per cent. The opposition centre-right Høyre won 25.9 per cent of the vote, up from 20.1 per cent in the 2019 local elections, even outperforming Labour in Oslo. FrP came in third on an anti-immigration platform, boosting its vote share from 8.3 per cent to 11.4 per cent. The turnout was 62.4 per cent, down from 64.7 per cent in 2019. A total of 42 per cent of candidates who stood in the election are women, according to Statistics Norway (a decrease of 0.7 percentage points compared to the 2019 election).
Sources: Euractiv, AP, Election Directorate, NRK, Science Norway, Statistics Norway (1), Statistics Norway (2)
August 2023
Data protection watchdog fines Meta over behavioural advertising
In August, the Norwegian Data Protection Authority’s temporary ban on Meta’s behavioural advertising went into effect, and the watchdog began fining Meta NOK 1,000,000 per day for non-compliance. The decision, taken in July, instituted a three-month ban on Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, from targeting users with behavioural advertising on its social media platforms, which track users’ online activity for marketing purposes. According to the Data Protection Authority, the decision seeks to safeguard the data protection rights of Norwegian users, where Meta fails to secure consent to process users’ behavioural data. Earlier in July, the European Court of Justice ruled that users visiting a platform cannot be construed to mean that the user manifestly makes sensitive data public, as grounds for permitting such data to be processed. Meta has filed a case with the Oslo District Court to grant a temporary injunction to halt the ban, and a decision is expected in September.
Sources: Datatilsynet (1), Datatilsynet (2), NRK, Wired, European Court of Justice, Euractiv, Meta
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