Dictionary

majority

ordinary matters such as enactments of Bills and Fiscal Budget resolutions are decided in the Storting by a simple majority (over half of the votes, with at least half of the Members required to be present at the vote). In order to amend the Constitution, a three-quarters majority is necessary at a vote where at least two-thirds of the Members are present. A relative majority (i.e. the candidate who obtains most votes is elected) is used in cases of ballots to elect individuals to particular positions. The exception to this is the election of Presidents and Secretaries in the Storting. Here a simple majority is required.

majority government

a government that has the support of the majority in the Storting

mandate

the right to take a seat in the Storting. There are 169 seats in the Storting.

ministry

a central government department (for example, the Ministry of Defence), headed by a cabinet minister.

minority government

a government formed by a party or parties that do not hold a majority of the seats in the Storting.

motion of no confidence

a motion put before the Storting. If it is carried, it implies a vote of no confidence, a statement in which the majority in the Storting expresses a lack of confidence in the Government or an individual cabinet minister, thus compelling them to resign.

National Budget

the Government’s report to the Storting on the economic policy and forecast for the coming year. The term used is Report to the Storting (meld. St. 1).

negative majority

several motions of no confidence on the basis of different grounds will, when considered together, have a majority. This is despite the fact that there is no majority for any of them individually. In such a situation, it is the decision of the Government in question whether or not to resign.

negotiations (discussions)

in the Storting there are often discussions between parties on different political questions; for example, in order to form a majority for a political alternative in one of the standing committees.

nomination

the process within the political parties to decide who will be the candidates in an election. The political parties themselves appoint the individuals who will appear on the electoral lists.

obligation to vote

if a Member is present and has not been paired off, he or she is duty-bound to vote when a matter is being voted on in the Storting.

Odelsting (historical term)

the system of the Odelsting and Lagting was abolished as of 1 October 2009. Until this time, three-quarters of the Members of the Storting were Members of the Odelsting. The Odelsting considered all Bills before sending its decision to the Lagting.

Office of the Auditor General

the Storting’s most important supervisory body, which, among other things, scrutinizes the public accounts. The Office of the Auditor General’s executive body (five Auditors General) is elected by the Storting every four years.

Official Norwegian Report (NOU) (green paper)

a thorough investigation into an issue or a field of responsibility prepared by a committee or commission appointed by the Government. It often forms the basis of a report or a proposition from the Government to the Storting.

ombudsman

one or more persons appointed by the Storting to exercise judicial control of the public administration and ensure that individuals do not suffer injustice at the hands of the authorities. An example of this is the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

opposition

used for the parties (opposition parties) that are not currently in government and who oppose the Government.

order of speakers

the Storting’s Rules of Procedure define how debates must be regulated – the order of speakers, speaking time, allocation of time among the different party groups, etc. The smallest party groups are allocated proportionally more time than their larger counterparts.

order paper

a list of the business that will be dealt with during a sitting.

organizational channels

collective term for the various methods trade unions and interest groups use to influence political decisions on behalf of their members.