The politics of Norway take place in the framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Executive power is exercised by the Council of State, the cabinet, led by the prime minister of Norway. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the legislature, the Storting, elected within a multi-party system. The judiciary is independent of the executive branch and the legislature.
Willem Drees Sr. was a Dutch politician of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and later co-founder of the Labour Party (PvdA) and historian who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 7 August 1948 to 22 December 1958.
Clement Attlee was invited by King George VI to form the Attlee ministry in the United Kingdom in July 1945, succeeding Winston Churchill as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Labour Party had won a landslide victory at the 1945 general election, and went on to enact policies of what became known as the post-war consensus, including the establishment of the welfare state and the nationalisation of 20 percent of the entire economy. The government's spell in office was marked by post-war austerity measures; the crushing of pro-independence and communist movements in Malaya; the grant of independence to India, Pakistan, Ceylon, and Burma; the engagement in the Cold War against Soviet Communism; and the creation of the country's National Health Service (NHS).
Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet was the Government of Norway from 17 October 2005 to 16 October 2013. It was a coalition between the Labour Party, the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party, known as the Red–Green Coalition. On 9 September 2013, the coalition was defeated in the 2013 election.
The Labour Party governed the United Kingdom from 1974 to 1979. During this period, Harold Wilson and James Callaghan were successively appointed as Prime Minister by Queen Elizabeth II. The end of the Callaghan ministry was presaged by the Winter of Discontent, a period of serious industrial discontent. This was followed by the election of Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher in 1979.
The Nordic model comprises the economic and social policies as well as typical cultural practices common in the Nordic countries. This includes a comprehensive welfare state and multi-level collective bargaining based on the economic foundations of social corporatism, and a commitment to private ownership within a market-based mixed economy – with Norway being a partial exception due to a large number of state-owned enterprises and state ownership in publicly listed firms.
The Government agencies of Norway are state-controlled organizations that act independently to carry out the policies of the Government of Norway. The government ministries are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, allowed to control agencies by policy decisions but not by direct orders. A minister is explicitly prohibited from interfering with the day-to-day operation in an agency or the outcome in individual cases. While no minister is allowed to give orders to agencies personally, they are subject to decisions made by the government. Also, the minister is normally the instance of appeals for agency decisions.
Hadia Tajik is a Pakistani-Norwegian jurist, journalist and politician from the Labour Party. She served as Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion from 2021 to 2022. She previously served as Minister of Culture from 2012 to 2013. She was 29 years of age at the time and became the youngest minister to serve in the Norwegian government. She is the first Cabinet member that is a Muslim. Tajik has served as a Member of Parliament representing Rogaland since 2017, and Oslo from 2009 to 2017. She was also the party's deputy leader from 2015 until 2022.
The Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion is the head of the Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion. The position has existed since 1 January 1846, when the Ministry of the Interior was created. Several different names have been used since then, with three name changes after 2000. The incumbent minister is Tonje Brenna of the Labour Party since 2023. From 1992 to 2001 there was also a Minister of Health position in the ministry.
The Minister of Health and Care Services is a councilor of state and chief of the Norway's Ministry of Health and Care Services. Since 19 April 2024 the position has been held by Jan Christian Vestre of the Labour Party. The ministry is responsible for healthcare and care services, with the state's healthcare activities being carried out by four regional health authorities. Major institutions subordinate to the ministry include the Directorate for Health, the Board of Health Supervision, the Institute of Public Health, the Medicines Agency, the Radiation Protection Authority, the Labour and Welfare Service and the Food Safety Authority.
The Standing Committee on Labour and Social Affairs is a standing committee of the Parliament of Norway. It is responsible for areas related to the labour market, the working environment, benefits, pensions and disability policy. It corresponds to the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion. The committee has 13 members and is chaired by Arve Kambe of the Conservative Party.
The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration is the current Norwegian public welfare agency, which consists of the state Labour and Welfare Service as well as municipal welfare agencies. It is responsible for a third of the state budget of Norway, administering programs such as unemployment benefits, sickness benefits, pensions, child benefits, qualification programme, temporary accommodation, health services, and more. In 2022 the agency had approximately 22,000 employees including approximately 15,500 employed by the state, and approximately 6,500 employed by the municipalities. Its head is the Labour and Welfare Director, currently Hans Christian Holte, who is appointed by the government.
The Labour and Welfare Service is a government agency of Norway. Together with municipal welfare agencies, it makes up the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV). The Labour and Welfare Service is led by Labour and Welfare Directorate, a government directorate located in Oslo. Its head is the Labour and Welfare Director, currently Joakim Lystad. The Labour and Welfare Service has 14,000 employees, whereas the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration as a whole has 19,000 employees. The service is subordinate to the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion.
A ministry of social affairs or department of social affairs is the common name for a government department found in states where the government is divided into ministries or departments. While there is some variation in the responsibilities of such ministries, the common thread between them is their responsibility for assisting members of society who are in a vulnerable position for example due to age, dependence on government aid, or being the employee in an employee/employer relationship. Ministries of this type cover matters such as social work, social protection and assistance, pensions, welfare, health and social security, and workplace standards for employees
A ministry of labour (UK), or labor (US), also known as a department of labour, or labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, and social security. Such a department may have national or regional authority.
Anniken Hauglie is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party who served as Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion from December 2015 to January 2020.
South Africa has one of the most extensive social welfare systems among developing countries in the world. In 2019, an estimated 18 million people received some form of social grant provided by the government.
Marte Mjøs Persen is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. She served as minister of labour and social inclusion from 2022 to 2023, and minister of petroleum and energy from 2021 to 2022. She served as the mayor of Bergen from 2015 until being elected to the Storting in 2021.
Tonje Brenna is a Norwegian politician currently serving as the Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion since 2023. A member of the Labour Party, she has served as its deputy leader since 2023 and previously served as the Minister of Education from 2021 to 2023, chairwoman of the Viken county cabinet from 2020 to 2021, and is currently a deputy member in the Storting for Akershus since 2017.
