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History and Government
History: The origin of the first inhabitants of Norway is uncertain, but it seems likely that they travelled north from central Europe. The known history of the country begins in the ninth century AD and is based on the Viking sagas, supported by archaeological evidence, and the explorations of Viking adventurers who colonised the Scottish islands, parts of the Scottish and Irish mainlands, Iceland and (for a while) Greenland. Norway itself was divided into a number of fiefdoms; the unification process began with King Harald Fairhair, who defeated the major northern tribes at the battle of Hafrsfjord (near Stavanger) in 872. Over the next two centuries, Christianity gradually spread into the country, supplanting traditional beliefs in Norse gods. By 1060, the country was unified.
From 1200 onwards, the twin powers of church and crown took control of the whole country. The arrival of bubonic plague (The Black Death) in Norway in 1350 killed half the Norwegian population and drastically weakened the power of its institutions. The Norwegians and Swedes had already established a joint monarchical structure which lasted between 1319 and 1343. Following the ravages of the Black Death, Norway entered into a political union with Denmark in 1380 through intermarriage between the countries’ ruling families. The alliance, cemented by a formal treaty in 1450, was intended to be one of equals; in practice, Denmark was the dominant partner, and in 1536, Norway became formally subservient to the Danish crown. Thus, when the seventeenth-century rivalry between Denmark and Sweden – the two dominant powers in the Baltic – broke out into warfare, the vanquished Danes handed over parts of Norwegian territory to Sweden.
The link between Denmark and Norway was finally broken in 1815 at the end of the Napoleonic wars. Denmark/Norway had sided with the France. After the defeat of Napoleon, Norway was handed over to the Swedes – who had fought in the opposing camp – effectively as one of the spoils of war. The Norwegians were allowed their own parliament, the Storting, which repeatedly clashed with the Swedish government throughout the period of the union between the two countries. This was officially and peacefully dissolved in 1905 following a referendum at which just 200 people – from a franchise of about 400,000 – voted in favour of retaining the union. The Swedes accepted the decision and Norway finally achieved true independence in 1905 as a constitutional monarchy.
The country’s three main political parties, Labour, Liberal and Christian Democrat, were formed in the 1880s. The early 20th century was dominated by the rivalry between the Labour and Liberal parties. 1935 was the start of a period of continuous Labour government, excepting the period of German occupation during World War II.
Norway had been neutral during the First World War and intended to remain so upon the outbreak of the Second World war. The Germans, however, saw Norway as a potential strategic threat and a valuable economic asset and occupied the country in 1940. A puppet government was installed under Vidkun Quisling (whose name subsequently entered the English language as a term for ‘traitor’) and remained in power until the German defeat in 1945.
After the war, Norway dispensed with its traditional neutrality to join NATO. In 1965, a centre-right coalition finally unseated Labour. Since then, Norway has been governed alternately by Labour and the centre-right, usually in coalition with smaller parties. The most recent poll in September 2001 returned Labour as the largest party, but the real winner was the second-placed Hoyre (Right) party which, in alliance with the Liberals and Christian Democrats, constructed a three-party coalition with the incumbent Christian Democrat premier Kjell Magne Bondevik remaining in office. The emergence of Hoyre in Norway was yet another example of the recent progress made by the far right throughout Europe, playing on fears about immigration, crime and racial identity.
However, the most divisive issue in contemporary Norwegian politics has been the country’s relationship with the rest of Europe. Norwegians are fiercely protective of their independence – hardly surprising given the country’s history. Concerns about the effect of EU membership on the country’s major industries (see Economy section) have meant that the electorate has consistently voted to stay outside the Union. Norway did join the alternative free trade bloc, the European Free Trade Area, and its successor, the European Economic Area. The closest Norway came to joining the EU was in 1992 when the Storting voted to apply for membership, but the decision was rejected at a national referendum two years later and Norway is likely to remain outside the EU for the foreseeable future (that said, there is mounting evidence that popular opposition has declined – a December 1998 poll recorded 55 per cent in favour of membership).
Further afield, the Norwegians have established a considerable reputation for handling delicate conflict negotiations. This is based on the key role which they played in hosting and mediating the negotiations leading up to the 1994 Israeli-Palestinian peace accord (see Israel section) – one of the major foreign policy coups of recent times. And in 2002, they played a similar role in bringing the long-running Sri Lankan civil war to a negotiated settlement.
Government: Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a unicameral 165-seat parliament, the Storting, elected by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies for a four-year term. The Prime Minister is the supreme executive authority. The monarch, currently King Harald V, is Head of State.
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