State Secretary (Norway)


In Norway, a state secretary is a partisan political position within the executive branch of government. Contrary to the position secretary of state in many other countries, a Norwegian state secretary does not head the ministry, rather, they are second in rank to a minister. Resembling a de facto vice minister, the state secretary, however, cannot attend a Council of State, and does not act as a temporary minister in case of illness or other leave of absence.

Modern use

The modern state secretary institution was established in 1947, following a 78-41 vote in the Norwegian Parliament. The Labour Party|Labour] and Communist parties voted for, whereas the Agrarian, Christian Democratic, Liberal, and Conservative parties voted against. The cabinet at that time was a single-party Labour cabinet led by Einar Gerhardsen, and one state secretary was appointed seven of the ministries. State secretaries in the Office of the Prime Minister followed in 1956, having originally been known as Secretaries to the Prime Minister. When the cabinet Lyng assumed office in August 1963, they appointed state secretaries in nearly all ministries, and when the cabinet Korvald assumed office, it became the first cabinet to employ two state secretaries in one ministry.
In 1968 the Conservative representative Paul Thyness, himself a former state secretary, had proposed a parliamentary resolution which requested the sitting cabinet to "take the function and status of State Secretary position into closer consideration." A public reporting committee convened in 1970; in 1971 Thyness became a member of this committee. In 1972, Thyness and fellow committee member Guttorm Hansen proposed four changes to the Norwegian Constitution in order to cement the state secretary position in Norwegian law. A Norwegian Official Report was also produced; in 1974. In 1976 the constitutional change was passed, following a 146-9 parliamentary vote. The only party which opposed the change was the Anders Lange Party; its four representatives voted together with individuals from other parties. One proposal was scrapped, though; the idea that state secretaries should meet in parliamentary sessions, allowing for closer scrutiny of the executive branch of government by the legislative branch.
Originally, the position was typically given to external technical experts or young politicians with little or no prior experience as elected politicians. In 1980, a landmark was made as Helen Bøsterud became the first state secretary with prior experience in parliament. However, this is still not the rule. On the other hand, becoming a member of parliament or even minister after serving as a state secretary is common. Jan P. Syse and Kjell Magne Bondevik would serve as prime ministers, and Thorvald Stoltenberg and Jonas Gahr Støre would serve as ministers of foreign affairs.

Historical use

The title state secretary was first used in 1814. While Norway was still a part of Denmark, in March 1814, Crown Prince Christian Frederick created a Government Council, with a regular secretary who was titled Secretary to the Government. According to the Norwegian Constitution of May 1814, the name of the Government Council was changed to Council of State, the secretary position being renamed to the state secretary at the same time. The name remained until 1925, when it was changed to Secretary to the Council of State. Following restructuring in 1969 and 1987, the position were transformed into a civil servant position in the Office of the Prime Minister, and is today known as Secretary to the Government.

List of current state secretaries

This is a list of the state secretaries in Støre's Cabinet. Unless otherwise noted, the term started on 14 October 2021.
MinisterState secretariesPeriodParty
Office of the Prime MinisterKristine Joy Nordenson KallsetLabour
Office of the Prime MinisterAstrid Scharning HuitfeldtLabour
Office of the Prime MinisterWegard Håkon HarsvikLabour
Office of the Prime MinisterThomas Boe HornburgLabour
Office of the Prime MinisterTale Benedikte JordbakkeLabour
Office of the Prime MinisterSiri Storstein HyttenLabour
Office of the Prime MinisterAnne Marie AanerudCentre
Office of the Prime MinisterAndreas Bjelland EriksenLabour
Minister of FinanceLars Erik BartnesCentre
Minister of FinanceErling Emil LaugsandCentre
Minister of FinanceLars VangenCentre
Minister of FinanceErlend Trygve GrimstadCentre
Minister of FinanceLotte Grepp KnutsenLabour
Minister of Labour and InclusionMaria Schumacher WalbergLabour
Minister of Labour and InclusionTruls Aronsen WickholmLabour
Minister of Labour and InclusionNancy HerzLabour
Minister of Fisheries and Ocean PolicyVidar UlriksenLabour
Minister of DevelopmentBjørg SandkjærCentre
Foreign MinisterFinn Henrik ThuneLabour
Foreign MinisterEivind Vad PeterssonLabour
Minister of Climate and EnvironmentRagnhild Sjoner SyrstadLabour
Minister of Children and FamiliesTrine FagervikCentre
Minister of Munincipalities and DistrictsOle Gustav NarudCentre
Minister of Munincipalities and DistrictsKjersti BjørnstadCentre
Minister of Munincipalities and DistrictsNancy Charlotte Porsanger AntiCentre
Minister of TransportMette GundersenLabour
Minister of Oil and EnergyAmund VikLabour
Minister of Health and Care ServicesKarl Kristian BekengLabour
Minister of Culture and EqualityGry HaugsbakkenLabour
Minister of Trade and IndustryHalvard IngebrigtsenLabour
Minister of Trade and IndustryJanicke AndreassenLabour
Minister of EducationKristina TorbergsenLabour
Minister of EducationHalvard HøllelandLabour
Minister of Agriculture and FoodWenche Karen WestbergCentre
Minister of Justice and Public SecurityAstrid BergmålLabour