Editing Politics of Norway (section)

==Executive branch==
{{Further|Cabinet of Norway}}
[[File:President Medvedev with King Harald V of Norway big225593 (crop).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Harald V]] has been [[King of Norway]] since 1991. The Norwegian king has mainly symbolic powers.]]

{{office-table}}
|[[List of Norwegian monarchs|King]]
|[[Harald V of Norway|Harald V]]
|
|17 January 1991
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Norway|Prime Minister]]
|[[Jonas Gahr Støre]]
|[[Labour Party (Norway)|Labour Party]]
|14 October 2021
|}

Norway is a [[constitutional monarchy]], where the [[King of Norway|king]] has a mainly symbolic power. The [[Royal House|royal house]] is a branch of the princely family of [[Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]], and the [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] in [[Germany]]. The functions of the king, [[Harald V of Norway|Harald V]], are mainly ceremonial, but he has influence as the symbol of national unity. Although the [[Constitution of Norway|constitution of 1814]] grants important executive powers to the king, these are always exercised by the [[Government of Norway|Council of State]] in the name of the king (King's Council, or cabinet). The king is also High Protector of the [[Church of Norway]] (the [[State religion|state church]]), Grand Master of [[the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav]], and symbolically Supreme Commander of the Norwegian armed forces.

The Council of State is formally convened by the reigning monarch. The Council of State consists of the [[Prime minister of Norway|prime minister]] and his or her 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. After elections resulting in no clear majority to any party or coalition, the leader of the party most likely to be able to form a government is appointed prime minister. Since [[World War II]], most non-socialist governments have been coalitions, and [[Labour Party (Norway)|Labour Party]] governments have often relied on the support of other parties to retain the necessary parliamentary votes.

The executive branch is divided into the following ministries:

{{main|List of Norwegian ministries}}
* [[Norwegian Office of the Prime Minister|Office of the Prime Minister]] ({{Lang|no|Statsministerens kontor}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food|Ministry of Agriculture and Food]] ({{Lang|no|Landbruks- og matdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Children and Equality|Ministry of Children and Equality]] ({{Lang|no|Barne- og likestillingsdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Culture|Ministry of Culture]] ({{Lang|no|Kulturdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Defence|Ministry of Defence]] ({{Lang|no|Forsvarsdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research|Ministry of Education and Research]] ({{Lang|no|Kunnskapsdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of the Environment|Ministry of the Environment]] ({{Lang|no|Miljøverndepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Finance|Ministry of Finance]] ({{Lang|no|Finansdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs|Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs]] ({{Lang|no|Fiskeri- og kystdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] ({{Lang|no|Utenriksdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Government Administration and Reform|Ministry of Government Administration and Reform]] ({{Lang|no|Fornyings- og administrasjonsdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services|Ministry of Health and Care Services]] ({{Lang|no|Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police|Ministry of Justice and the Police]] ({{Lang|no|Justis- og politidepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion|Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion]] ({{Lang|no|Arbeids- og inkluderingsdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development|Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development]] ({{Lang|no|Kommunal- og regionaldepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy|Ministry of Petroleum and Energy]] ({{Lang|no|Olje- og energidepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry|Ministry of Trade and Industry]] ({{Lang|no|Nærings- og handelsdepartementet}})
* [[Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications|Ministry of Transport and Communications]] ({{Lang|no|Samferdselsdepartementet}})

=== Governments 1935–1981 ===

The [[Norwegian Labour Party|Labour Party]] has been the largest party in [[Storting|Parliament]] ever since the [[1927 Norwegian parliamentary election|election of 1927]] up to the recent [[2017 Norwegian parliamentary election|2017 election]]. Labour formed their first brief [[minority government]] in 1928 which lasted for 18 days only. After the [[1936 Norwegian parliamentary election|1936 election]] the Labour Party formed a new minority government, which had to go into exile 1940–1945 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 [[Storting|parliament]] in the first post-war [[1945 Norwegian parliamentary election|election of 1945]].

Norway was ruled by Labour governments from 1945 to 1981, except for three periods (1963, 1965–1971, and 1972–1973). The Labour Party had a single party majority in the Storting from 1945 to 1961. Since then no party has single-handedly formed a [[majority government]], hence [[minority government|minority]] and [[coalition government]]s have been the rule. After the centre-right [[Kåre Willoch|Willoch]] government lost its parliamentary majority in the [[1985 Norwegian parliamentary election|election of 1985]], there were no majority governments in Norway until the second [[Jens Stoltenberg|Stoltenberg]] government was formed after the [[2005 Norwegian parliamentary election|2005 election]].

=== Governments 1981–2005 ===
[[File:Kare Willoch 2009.jpg|thumb|[[Kåre Willoch]] ([[Conservative Party of Norway|Conservative Party]]) was Prime Minister from 1981 until 1986.]]
From 1981 to 1997, governments alternated between minority Labour governments and Conservative-led centre-right governments. The centre-right governments gained power in three out of four 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 Party of Norway|Conservative]] leader [[Kåre Willoch]] formed a [[minority government]] after the [[1981 Norwegian parliamentary election|election of 1981]]. In 1983, midway between elections, this government was expanded to a [[majority government|majority]] three-party [[coalition government|coalition]] of the Conservatives, the [[Centre Party (Norway)|Centre Party]] and the [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Democrats]]. In the [[1985 Norwegian parliamentary election|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]] taxes.

[[Norwegian Labour Party|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 [[1989 Norwegian parliamentary election|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 nicknamed 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]].
[[File:Thorbjorn Jagland.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Thorbjørn Jagland]] (Labour) was Prime Minister 1996–97. He has later become [[Secretary General of the Council of Europe]].]]

When Brundtland resigned in 1996, Labour leader [[Thorbjørn Jagland]] formed a new Labour government that stayed in office until October 1997 when he, after the [[1997 Norwegian parliamentary election|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 Norwegian parliamentary election|1993 election]].

A three-party minority coalition of the [[Centre Party (Norway)|Centre]], [[Christian People's Party (Norway)|Christian Democratic]], and [[Venstre (Norway)|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 natural gas 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 [[2001 Norwegian parliamentary election|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 [[Conservative Party of Norway|Conservatives]], [[Christian People's Party (Norway)|Christian Democrats]] and [[Venstre (Norway)|Liberals]], a coalition dependent on support from the [[Progress Party (Norway)|Progress Party]]. This coalition government was the first to stay in office for a complete four-year election period since [[Per Borten]]'s coalition government of 1965–1969.

===Cabinet 2005–2013===
A coalition between the [[Norwegian Labour Party|Labour Party]], [[Socialist Left Party (Norway)|Socialist Left Party]], and [[Centre Party (Norway)|Centre Party]], took over {{As of|2005|10|17|alt=from 17 October 2005}} after the [[2005 Norwegian parliamentary election|2005 general election]], where this coalition obtained a majority of 87 out of 169 seats in the [[Storting]]. [[Jens Stoltenberg]] became Prime Minister and formed a cabinet known as [[Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Centre-left bloc wins Norway poll |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4236744.stm |date=13 September 2005}}</ref>

This was a historical coalition in several aspects. It was the first time the Socialist Left sat in cabinet, the first time the Labour Party sat 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 sat in government along with socialist parties (otherwise in coalition with conservative and other centre parties).

In the [[2009 Norwegian parliamentary election|2009 general election]] the coalition parties kept the majority in the [[Storting]] by winning 86 out of 169 seats.<ref>Walter Gibbs: [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/world/europe/16norway.html Norway Keeps Leftists in Power] ''The New York Times'', 15 September 2009</ref> Stoltenberg's second cabinet thus continued. There have been several reshuffles in the cabinet during its existence.

===Cabinet 2013–2021===
In the 2013 election, the incumbent [[Red–green coalition (Norway)|red–green coalition]] government obtained 72 seats and lost its majority. The election ended with a victory for the four opposition non-socialist parties, winning a total of 96 seats out of 169 (85 needed for a majority).<ref>{{cite news |title=Norway election: Conservative Erna Solberg triumphs |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24014551 |work=BBC News |date=10 September 2013}}</ref> Following convention, Stoltenberg's government resigned and handed over power in October 2013. The Labour Party, however, remained the largest party in parliament with 30.8% of the popular vote. The [[Progress Party (Norway)|Progress Party]] also lost ground, but nevertheless participates in the new cabinet led by Conservative Prime Minister [[Erna Solberg]].<ref>{{cite news |title=New Government announced |url=https://www.stortinget.no/en/In-English/About-the-Storting/News-archive/Front-page-news/2013-2014/New-Government-announced/ |work=Stortinget |date=18 October 2013 |language=en}}</ref> Among the smaller parties, the centrist [[Liberal Party (Norway)|Liberal Party]] and [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Peoples Party]] hold the [[Balance of power (parliament)|balance of power]]. Both campaigned on a change in government. On 30 September the two smaller parties announced that they would support a minority coalition of the Conservative and Progress parties, but they would not take seats in the cabinet themselves. The new Erna Solberg government was [[2017 Norwegian parliamentary election|re-elected]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |title=Norway election: Ruling Conservatives claim second term |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41234901 |work=BBC News |date=12 September 2017}}</ref> In January 2020, right-wing Progress Party left the government. Prime Minister Erna Solberg continued with a minority government consisting of three coalition partners — her own Conservatives, the centrist Liberal Party and the Christian Democrats.<ref>{{cite news |title=Norway party quits government in 'jihadist-wife' row |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51174550 |work=BBC News |date=20 January 2020}}</ref>

===Current cabinet===
In the [[2021 Norwegian parliamentary election|2021 election]], the incumbent [[Solberg cabinet]] lost its majority.<ref>{{cite news |title=Norway's centre-left defeats Solberg's conservative rule |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58555690 |work=BBC News |date=14 September 2021}}</ref> [[Jonas Gahr Støre]] of the [[Labour Party (Norway)|Labour Party]] formed a [[minority government|minority]] [[coalition government]] with the [[Centre Party (Norway)|Centre Party]]. The government relies on the support of the [[Socialist Left Party (Norway)|Socialist Left Party]] in order to secure a [[parliamentary majority|majority]].
On 14 October 2021, [[Jonas Gahr Støre]], the leader of Norway's center-left Labor Party, was sworn in as new Prime Minister of Norway. His center-left minority government included ten women and nine men.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/norways-prime-minister-present-government-80577776|title = Norway's prime minister presents his new government|website = [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref>

:''See also the category [[:Category:Norwegian politicians|Norwegian politicians]] and [[list of Norwegian governments]].''