Parliamentary elections every single year

The confusion is first total in Ny Tid's editorial offices. The Norwegian people have just gone to the polls and said their opinion. We have got a new Storting, and wonder what number in the row this Storting is in Norwegian history.

- It will be the 146th Storting, says Ivar Buch Østbø, section leader in the Storting's school and information service.

- But, there are elections only every four years. If you multiply 146 by four, does that mean that the first parliamentary election was 584 years ago, or in 1417?

- No, no, it's not that simple. This is often complicated, since 1945 we have had parliamentary elections every single year, Østbø answers.

-….?! ??

When?

There is clearly a need for clarification in the Norwegian electoral system. Østbø, who has written a book about the Storting, says he is willing to guide. New Time asks him if he can not just as well start right from the beginning.

- As you probably remember from primary school, the national assembly met at Eidsvoll in April-May 1814, and on 17 May the constitution was signed. The 112 representatives of the Riksforsamling were appointed by electors who were elected by the people on 14 April 1814. Or rather by those who had the right to vote at that time, ie men over the age of 25 with a certain wealth and status. Remember that universal suffrage for men was first introduced in 1898, while women were given suffrage in 1913. By the way, in 1814 no one was elected from the three northernmost counties. In Nordland, people were busy with Lofoten fishing, while the election results from Troms and Finnmark never reached Eidsvoll due to communication problems.

- So this was the first parliamentary election?

- No, the representatives were elected to the National Assembly, so this was not a Storting. But on October 7 of the same year, the first extraordinary Storting was elected. At that time, it was done under the auspices of the Church by people coming to the church hills around and voting.

How often?

- That is, the 1st Storting?

- No, extraordinary Storting means extraordinary Storting, so it is not included in the series of what we call proper Storting. We had just been at war with Sweden and it was urgent to get a Storting in place.

- But when did Norway get the first ordinary Storting, then ??

- We got that the following year, in 1815. To begin with, a new Storting was elected every three years, ie the 2nd Storting was elected in 1818, the 3rd in 1821, and so on. But at that time, the Storting only had a collection time of three months. For the rest of the three-year period, the Storting was dissolved.

- And how long did it work like that?

- Until 1869. Then the Storting decided that they should be elected every year, with effect from 1871.

- What, do people go to the polls every year?

- No, the election periods were still three years, so people only voted every three years. But a new Storting was still elected every year.

Of whom?

- By whom then, in all the world?

- By the Storting itself. The Storting's collection time has varied greatly throughout history. But from 1959 onwards, the collection period went from the first parish day – or weekday – in October, until the Storting was dissolved sometime in the spring. Every October, therefore, a new Storting was installed, and this is how it is today.

- To have! So in a parliamentary term there are several Stortings?

- Yes, in the four-year period that is now over, for example, we have had it 142.-145. Parliament. By the way, we did not get four-year terms until after the Second World War after the election on 2 June 14.

- And is the Storting still dissolved when the representatives go on summer vacation?

- No, but this was actually only changed in 1990. From that year on, the Storting existed until the last day in September. But even though the Storting now functions continuously, a new Storting is elected on the first parish day in October every year.

What's the point?

- But what does this mean in practice. Can, for example, representatives be replaced when a new Storting is also elected in the middle of an election period?

- No, the representatives are elected for four years, and can not be replaced, unless they resign due to illness or resign. In Norway we do not have the right of dissolution, such as in England. The only ones who can formally be replaced are six people; the president and the vice-president of the Storting, the Odelsting and the Lagting, respectively. But as far as I know, that has never happened.

- So what is the point of electing a new Storting every year?

- Because it says in the Constitution. There is a lot of form and tradition that determines these things in the Storting. Several politicians have tried to shake up the schemes, without success. In the 1990s, for example, Kåre Willoch proposed that Norway should introduce the right of dissolution of the Storting, while Carl I. Hagen wanted to change the law so that it was possible to replace breakaways with new party-loyal representatives.

How many?

- Then all that remains is to find out the answer to what Ny Tid actually called you to find out: Which number in the row is this year's parliamentary election, in the sense of an election where people go to the polls?

- No, I can not find out. Then you have to calculate how many three-year periods versus four-year periods there have been since 1815. Then you have to subtract elections and periods that disappeared due to, for example, the war years, as well as when it became annual parliamentary elections.

- It sounds complicated.

- Yes, you have to stick to the fact that we now have the 146th proper Storting. And that we have had nine extraordinary or extraordinary parliaments – the last in 1939 when Germany attacked Poland.

- It sounds sensible. Thanks for the help, and have a wonderful day.