Viking Magazine - Sep/Oct 2023 - 35

AMBASSADOR INSIGHTS
Norway and the U.S. Share Common Values
BY ANNIKEN KRUTNES
O
ften during my time as Ambassador,
I remark how alike Norwegians
and Americans are regarding our
countries' priorities.
We have similar values and visions
for the future, and we are both wholeheartedly
committed to preserving
our democracies. Our nations possess
two of the oldest constitutions in the
world-in fact, the Norwegian Constitution
was partly inspired by its U.S.
counterpart! And both of our constitutions
require a separation of powers-
distinguishing the executive, legislative
and judicial branches from each other.
But Americans are sometimes surprised
to learn that our political systems
also have some significant differences.
One that might come to mind right
away is the fact that, in Norway, we
have a monarch (which Americans
rather famously do not!). While King
Harald V is our head of state, just as the
president is America's, he is not part of
day-to-day governance-he is not the
prime minister. Instead, he represents
Norway abroad and has formal and
ceremonial duties that help bring
Norwegians together.
Another immediately noticeable
distinction is the number of political
parties. In today's U.S., only two parties
have any real staying power: the
Democrats and the Republicans. In
Norway, that number more than quadruples-we
have nine major parties,
and there is room for each of them
to grow more or less influential. This
means that some voters might not be as
invested in sticking with just one party
all their lives. They range from liberal
to moderate to conservative, and some
are intensely focused on specific issues,
such as the Green Party.
There are more differences, too.
Instead of a bicameral legislative setup
like the U.S. has, with its Senate and
House of Representatives, Norway has
@sonsofnorway
a unicameral system-the Storting,
which is made up of 169 elected members.
Each of the parties elected to the
Storting must work alongside one
another in order to govern, which
means forming coalitions.
As for elections, they are held every
four years on both the parliamentary
and local level (though these are held
two years apart from each other). All
Norwegians can participate beginning
the year they turn 18, and women have
been able to vote since 1913. Voter
registration is an automatic process
that is kept track of electronically.
One especially big contrast from the
U.S. is that our head of government
does not have a fixed term limit. A
prime minister is picked after the
Storting is elected, when the parties
that find themselves in the majority
determine amongst themselves who
will lead. Their choice is then reported
back to the monarch, who formally
appoints the prime minister. If the same
party continues to do well in elections
and retains the confidence of the Storting,
it's possible for one prime minister
to stay in their post for a long time.
Despite the differences in our governments,
though, Norway and the
U.S. share a deep respect for the
freedoms that can only be found in
democracy. Although we may not be
exactly alike, there's a reason that the
U.S. is Norway's most important ally.
The foundation of our friendship lies
in our mutual commitment to healthy,
democratic societies where everyone
has a voice. And that is something to
be truly thankful for!
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Anniken Krutnes
is Norway's
Ambassador to the
United States. An
expert in security
policy, the law of
the sea and Arctic issues, she has previously
served as Deputy Director General of the
Department of Security Policy, as Norway's
Ambassador for Arctic and Antarctic
Affairs and as Norway's Ambassador to
the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
facebook.com/
NorwegianEmbassyinWashington
@NorwayAmbUSA
Sep/Oct 2023
35
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Viking Magazine - Sep/Oct 2023

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