The Prime Minister's New Year Address 2026

Checked against delivery 

This evening I am speaking to your from Høyblokka, the high-rise building at the heart of the new Government Building Complex in Oslo.

This is where Norwegian prime ministers have given most of their New Year’s speeches in recent decades.

This building is a symbol of our democracy and our sense of community, but on 22 July 2011 it also became a symbol of pain and loss for the entire nation.

Eight people lost their lives here. And 69 were killed on Utøya.

That Friday– nearly 15 years ago now – Line Nærsnes was here, on the 11th floor, working at her desk in the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

Seated at her computer, she glanced down at Einar Gerhardsens plass, and stretched out her hand to make a phone call.

Then came the explosion. And everything went dark.

When she regained her bearings, the window was shattered – and her office was in shambles. 

With her colleague, Knut, she clambered through the rubble – over broken concrete, twisted steel beams, and down the stairs to the exit – where I am standing now.

Line had no idea that a piece of the window frame was sticking out of her forehead.

At the urgent care centre, the medical staff did a fabulous job.   

She survived – by a hair’s breadth – and was able to return to her job.

Today, Line says she is proud to be a civil servant in Norway – proud of the work she does to enhance our security. Yours, mine, the security of our country.

In a few weeks’ time, Line will be moving back into this building – together with colleagues from various ministries.

The Workers’ Youth League (AUF) has already reclaimed Utøya.

Now, we are reclaiming Høyblokka. The building erected in 1958 has been repaired and rebuilt.

 

Norway has an open democracy.

And it has been important for us to maintain an open Government Building Complex.

Where there is room for green spaces and meeting places for everyone. And a memorial.

Where it is safe for Line and everyone else to work.

Where the ministries are gathered in one place, so we can govern the country more effectively.

This is crucial – because the tasks we are now facing are formidable.

 

The most important of these is to safeguard security – at a time when instability in the world is directly affecting our lives.

When countries are erecting tariff barriers, we are confronted with high prices at the local shop, and businesses that are vital to our communities are dealing with growing uncertainty.

When climate change and extreme weather events are wreaking havoc – such as Storm Amy, which caused widespread damage this autumn.

When Russia, supported by China, Iran and North Korea, is moving into the fourth year of its brutal war against Ukraine.

Last year I received a letter from pupils in the fifth grade at Isfjorden school in Møre og Romsdal county. They asked: ‘Is there a risk of war in Norway?’

I completely understand why they would ask me this.

The world situation has become more serious.

There is war in Europe.

So – yes, we, too, must be prepared for the fact that war could once again come to Norway.

At the same time, I would like to say once again: Norway poses no threat to anyone, and neither does NATO.

And our assessment is that Russia does not see it as in its interests to seek a military conflict with Norway, a NATO country.

But we and our Allies are being challenged:

By influence operations, disinformation and intelligence activity. And the threat of sabotage is real.

This can affect many sectors of our society.

Transport arteries. Industrial plants. Oil and gas installations. Banks.

There are many types of threats in today’s world.

And the distinction between war and peace is becoming increasingly blurred.

This means that we – each and every one of us – must do more to defend our security, both using our own resources and in cooperation with other countries.

There is broad consensus in the Storting on a plan to strengthen the Norwegian Armed Forces – and on the need to continue to provide substantial, long-term support to Ukraine.

We are part of something bigger – our security is interlinked with the freedom of others.

We are strengthening our Armed Forces, as part of the world’s strongest military alliance, NATO, and together with our northern European Allies, in a Europe that is taking greater responsibility for its own security – as is both right and necessary.

 

Safeguarding our security is about protecting borders and geography.

But it also about protecting democracy – and freedom of expression – which make it possible for us to say what we think, without fear.

It is about promoting the rule of law, which ensures that the law applies equally to all.

And it is about preserving our welfare system, which provides schooling and health services for everyone in our country. 

We must protect everything that gives us our security – and we must do it together.

Safeguarding our security is about more than just aircraft and frigates.

What gives us our security is people – it’s all of us. 

The soldiers who train in the biting cold, the crews who sail the ships and fly the jets that monitor our airspace and territorial waters.

The police officers, who deal with everything from organised criminal networks to local neighbourhood violence and threats.

Last year, one officer ended up paying the highest price for this during the Christmas holiday: Just 25 years old, police officer Markus Botnen was shot and killed as he tried to help a person in a desperate situation.

Markus’ tragic death reminds us of something important:

that the sense of security we sometimes take for granted is provided by people who put our safety ahead of their own.

Our security is also provided by the nurses, doctors and all other health personnel, who meet us when we are at our most vulnerable, and who treat the injured when every second counts.

Our security is sustained by volunteers in the Red Cross, Norwegian People’s Aid, the Norwegian Women’s Public Health Association and many other organisations.

And our security is upheld by teachers in the classroom – who in this digital era are teaching our children to think critically.

That is especially important now.

 

Children and young people inhabit a digital environment we adults do not always see.

Where they can find friendship and a sense of belonging – as we saw in the poignant film Ibelin: about Mats Steen, who suffered from a debilitating medical condition but found friends, courage and meaning in a gaming universe his parents were barely aware of.

But the opposite can also happen, as many of us saw last year in the TV series Adolescence: young people who drift into dark corners of the web, where hate and violence reinforce one another – until someone crosses a line and destroys our common security.

We are in the middle of a digital revolution in which algorithms, artificial intelligence and different platforms seek to track us and influence our lives – right down to the very core of our being: our thoughts.

When so much of what we think and talk about is shaped by what we see on the screen, we must be even more on our guard – not just as a country, but as parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, colleagues and teachers.

And this is an essential point: when we talk about security and resilience, it is easy to think that only the really big decisions matter.

And yes – the state and municipalities are continually updating and upgrading their plans, conducting exercises, and responding to difficult situations – everything from extreme weather to a collapsed bridge, a power outage or a computer system failure at a hospital or airport.

But defending our values does not start at the level of the state. It starts with you and me, and those we have around us.

It is in our small, everyday deeds and actions that our collective security lies:

When we pay close attention to the online lives of our children and young people – and when we accept those irritating warnings to change our passwords.

When we speak up if something seems wrong – whether it is an online fraud, poor security at work or a missing smoke detector in the apartment block.

When we participate actively in our local community – in the parent-teacher committee, sports team, trade union or in voluntary activities.

Each time you get involved, in however small a way, you are making the world more secure for all of us.

Because when we take care of each other, we are taking care of our country.

 

While Norway is not immune to the risks emerging in a more insecure and unpredictable world, we have a high level of resilience:

Norway is a safe country.

With a robust economy.

With a high degree of social equality.

Equal opportunities for all throughout the country.

A high level of trust between people.

And, as last year so clearly showed: we have a vibrant democracy.

Just reflect for a moment: ‘valgomat’ (vote compass) was the most frequently searched word in Norway last year.

And in the autumn, 8 out of 10 pupils in upper secondary schools took part in school elections.

The same proportion of Norwegians with voting rights went to the polls in the general election, and nearly as many did so during the Sámi parliamentary election.

These are not just numbers, but proof that we care – that we want to exert our influence and be heard.

In Norway we have differences of opinion – but this does not make us enemies.

Our discussions may be heated, but we can also shake hands or give each other a hug – because we know that what unites us is greater than what divides us.

Here in Norway, children meet in the same classrooms regardless of their background.

And we should use the energy found in our trust and our fellowship here in Norway to fight rising antisemitism, islamophobia and all other forms of discrimination and hate speech.

This reinforces the bedrock of Norwegian society.

And each moment that brings us together as a single, united nation makes us even stronger.

Thank you to Ståle Solbakken and the men’s national football team – they have finally caught up to the talented women’s team, and are ready for the World Cup. And thank you to Norway’s women’s national handball team who, a few weeks ago, brought the World Championship gold medal home once again.

Thank you to all of you who make films and TV series that we can relate to, from 23 seasons depicting life in places it is hard to imagine anyone could live (Der ingen skulle tru at nokon kunne bu) to the family challenges portrayed in Pernille (Pørni).

Thank you to all of you who have your fingers on the pulse of today’s trends, creating art, music, festivals – from Tons of Rock to the Riddu Riđđu Festival – that illustrate the breadth of diversity in our country.

And thank you to those who write books that ‘make the sky our ceiling and the horizon our walls’, to borrow one of Roy Jacobsen’s turns of phrase.

Norway’s sense of fellowship is a shield that protects Norwegian values.

Our sense of community is also our bridge to new perspectives, ideas and narratives – which our society and our culture need.

My message today is that a strong sense of community will be vital to strengthening the defence of Norway in the years to come.

Standing here in Norway’s main government building, I am struck by just how much we have to preserve and defend.

This is something we can do every day:

By taking precautions, in a time of heightened preparedness.

By resolving disagreements with words.

And by giving of our time, our care, our volunteer energy – all those things that do not show up in statistics but make a difference to the people around us.

 

On behalf of all of us, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Their Majesties The King and Queen and the entire Royal Family for their tireless efforts for Norway.

A sincere thank you to all Norwegians abroad – students, researchers, people working in the maritime sector and other industries, Armed Forces personnel, humanitarian workers and Foreign Service employees.

And a special thank you to those of you who have been at work during this holiday break, or are working at this very moment – and to everyone who contributes to the voluntary sector throughout the country.

To each and every one of you: a very Happy New Year!