Stortinget

The Storting stands in central Oslo as the seat of Norway’s single-chamber parliament. The building opened in 1866 and houses the 169 representatives elected every four years from nineteen constituencies. Inside, members work in twelve standing committees and four procedural committees, supported by three ombudsmen and a presidium of one president and five vice-presidents. Since 2021 Masud Gharahkhani has led the assembly. The chamber itself was once formally divided into two internal chambers, the Lagting and the Odelsting, until a 2007 amendment abolished that structure in 2009. The parliament traces its origins to the 9th-century allting, when free men gathered at a thingstead to settle legal and political matters. By the 10th century regional lagtings had become formal courts, and in the 13th century King Magnus the Lawmender consolidated four assemblies into one legal system. Absolute monarchy replaced these assemblies in 1660, but the 1814 constitution restored a national assembly that became the Storting. During the Second World War the presidium briefly sought the king’s abdication under German pressure, though the occupation authorities later blocked cooperation. Visitors enter a stately building where guided tours explain how laws are made in five stages. The grand hall displays portraits of past presidents alongside the chamber where debates take place. Outside, the surrounding streets of central Oslo provide views of modern government buildings and historic landmarks. The area remains a focus for political life, with parties holding press conferences and public events nearby.