The Standing Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs is examining three alternative constitutional proposals to amend section 121 of the Constitution, which governs how constitutional amendments are processed. The committee majority—members from the Labour Party, Progress Party, and Centre Party—recommends against all three proposals. However, members from the Conservative Party, Socialist Left Party, Red Party, Green Party, and Christian Democratic Party argue that weaknesses in the current amendment procedure have been identified over many years.
AI-generated summary · Model: Claude Haiku 4.5 · Generated: 14 May 2026
These are the proposals in the document, not decisions. See the votes for the outcome.
Constitutional proposal 14 (sponsored by Frode Jacobsen, Kirsti Leirtrø, and Kari Henriksen): Amendment proposals must be submitted by the last business day in May of the third year in an election cycle and made public. One-third of the Storting votes by the last business day in April of the fourth year in the same election cycle to decide whether a proposal should proceed to the next election. Such a proposal may differ in details from the one originally submitted. Approved proposals are published collectively. After the next election, the Storting must decide by the last business day in May of the third year in the election cycle whether the proposed amendment should take effect. Any change must be identical to the proposal approved before the election and must never contradict the Constitution's principles; it may only modify individual provisions without altering the constitution's spirit. Two-thirds of the Storting must agree. A constitutional provision adopted this way shall be signed by the Storting's President and Secretary and sent to the King for publication as a valid provision of the Constitution.
Constitutional proposal 15 (sponsored by Peter Frølich, Svein Harberg, Frode Jacobsen, Nils T. Bjørke, Carl I. Hagen, Audun Lysbakken, Seher Aydar, Grunde Almeland, and Lan Marie Nguyen Berg): Amendment proposals must be submitted by the last business day in September in the second Storting after a new election. By the last business day in April in the fourth Storting, the Storting decides whether to recommend approval after the election. A recommendation requires two-thirds of votes and may include changes to the original proposal. All submitted proposals and proposals with recommended changes are published and taken up for consideration after the next election. After the next election, the Storting must decide by the last business day in September in the second Storting whether a proposed amendment should take effect. Any change must never contradict the Constitution's principles; it may only modify individual provisions without altering the constitution's spirit, and two-thirds of the Storting must agree. A constitutional provision adopted this way shall be signed by the Storting's President and Secretary and sent to the King for publication as a valid provision of the Constitution.
Constitutional proposal 40 (sponsored by Per Olaf Lundteigen): Amendment proposals may be submitted in the first, second, or third Storting after a new election and must be published. Proposals supported by one-quarter of the Storting's members are published by the last business day in April of the fourth year in the election cycle and submitted to the voters. Such proposals may differ in details from those originally submitted. The first, second, or third Storting after the next election decides whether a proposed amendment should take effect. Any change must never contradict the Constitution's principles; it may only modify individual provisions without altering the constitution's spirit, and two-thirds of the Storting must agree. A constitutional provision adopted this way shall be signed by the Storting's President and Secretary and sent to the King for publication as a valid provision of the Constitution.