“Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, [showed] lack respect for His Majesty the King and his elected Assembly,” said the former President of the Stortinget (the Norwegian national assembly), Dag Terje Andersen to the Norwegian media on Monday morning.
Andersen believes that Prime Minister Solberg has gone behind the King’s back by publishing major political decisions before she requested the King’s approval of new legislation and major national projects. Andersen refers to several incidents where Prime Minister Solberg, or members of her government, have held a press conference and promised things to the Norwegian people without the King’s formal approval.
“One thing is that the Conservative Party, at its yearly national convention, always toast in honour of the King, and then shows systematically little respect for the King in State Council. But what is really irresponsible is that this damages the public debate and the critical journalism,” said former President of the Stortinget to the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.
Dag Terje Andersen was President of the Stortinget from 2009 to 2013. Photo: Philip Gabrielsen via Wikimedia Commons.
When the Norwegian government was asked for a response to this accusation, the government released the following statement. “In this and former governments, it has happened that news of great interest has been leaked to the public in advance. This news or laws are, as usual, made public and submitted to the parliament for approval after they have received the approval by His Majesty in State Council which is held each Friday.”
The Norwegian monarch has no formal power in the current political society; nevertheless, no laws can be approved without the King’s signature. His Majesty also has the option to refuse to sign the law, which King Harald has done on several occasions. Therefore, it is essential that everything be submitted to His Majesty before it becomes publicly known.
King Harald, represented by Sven Gjeruldsen in the Communications Department at the Royal Court, did not want to comment on Andersen’s claims.
Simple enough. Change the law. If the Kings signs legislation becomes law. If he refused, it becomes law anyway. How can a modern democratic society allow itself to be held hostage to the whims of an unelected monarch?
I don’t know what to say! Lolz!