Autumn 2025 will see many new Members of Parliament (MPs) taking their seats for the first time. But before the new parliamentary session can begin, the Storting must ensure that all representatives have been elected in accordance with the rules.

"The Constitution states that those elected to the Storting bring credentials from their electoral districts. These are documents confirming which representatives have a mandate to attend Parliament from each district. On the first day Parliament convenes, the first representative from each district brings the papers containing these credentials," explains MP Sverre Myrli.

Checking for Irregularities in the Election

To verify the validity of the credentials, a Preparatory Credentials Committee is appointed towards the end of each parliamentary term. This committee begins the process of reviewing the credentials and examining the election, while the formal Credentials Committee is elected and takes over the work once Parliament is constituted.

If the committee uncovers significant errors or breaches of regulations, a re-election may be necessary. This occurred, for example, in Buskerud and Troms in 1981.

Myrli emphasises that this is an important process to ensure the integrity of the election.

"We are fortunate to have robust systems here in Norway. The election is reviewed by the Electoral Directorate, the district electoral boards, the national electoral board, the Preparatory Credentials Committee, the formal Credentials Committee, and finally, the new Parliament makes the final decision," he explains.

A Matter of Trust

The new Parliament essentially approves itself, but this happens following groundwork laid by members of the outgoing Parliament. Under the new Electoral Act, which came into force in 2024, it is also possible to appeal Parliament’s approval of the election to the Supreme Court.

"I’ve served on the Credentials Committee many times, and I find it both interesting and important work. It’s about formalities, but also about trust. People should know that the 169 representatives who take their seats in October are the rightful ones. There must be no cheating or trickery, as we unfortunately see in some other countries," says Myrli.