Abstract

This essay offers a critical analysis of the system of regional and local forms of government in the Kingdom of Norway. The principle of local affairs government is strongly anchored in the Norwegian Constitution, Grunnlova, which is the world’s second-oldest Constitution still in operation, from 1814. However, several policy choices seem to have changed and challenged the dynamics of local democracy and municipal self-governance over the years. In this light, this paper's central question is to what extent the right to govern local affairs through local democratically elected bodies in Norway is either a vision or a reality today. To do so, the article first offers an historical trajectory of local state formation in Norway. The first section describes the legal traditions that are especially relevant for local and regional governance and the development of administrative boundaries throughout the centuries. This section shows that the Government of the Kingdom of Norway has become more centralized over time. Because centralization is a common development for many states, the paper proceeds by elucidating the specific tensions among select levels of governance in Norway to this day. Conclusively, the paper indulges on an outstanding issue for governance in Norway: the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic to self-government.