Translated from Norwegian

Norway is to be a safe country with opportunities for all.

Our country is sustained by a vibrant democracy, a high level of trust, a high degree of social equality, resilient local communities and a long tradition of working together to find solutions. These are strengths we need at a time when the world around us has become more turbulent.

We are contending with the most serious security situation since the Second World War. Russia’s war against Ukraine poses a threat to Norwegian and European security. The rules for international cooperation are under pressure. Developments in US politics are creating unpredictability for Europe, and new trade barriers are placing additional burdens on Norwegian companies.

The Government’s Plan for Norway is intended to provide security and opportunities in a time of instability. It groups the Government’s most important priorities under five areas: economic security, labour market security and stability for the business sector, a sense of security for children and young people, a robust and reliable public health system, and security for the country. The plan will be revised every year to take account of new challenges.

Norway is undergoing a period of reform, and the initiatives outlined in the plan are designed to revitalise the way we fulfil core societal tasks and promote more effective use of resources.

The Government will seek cooperation with the Storting on the implementation of the plan.

 

Economic security is undermined when instability elsewhere in the world makes everyday life here at home more expensive.

The Government has a clear aim: to improve people’s financial situation. The cost of pre-school day-care and after-school care has been reduced, and Norway’s fixed electricity price scheme ensures more predictable electricity costs. Tax on ordinary income has been cut, and wages have risen more than prices in recent years.

Steps are being taken to make it easier for people to find affordable housing. The Government will facilitate the start-up of construction of 130 000 new housing units by 2030.

The improvement in people’s financial situation is fragile. War and instability may push up the prices of energy, food and other goods. The Government will ensure sound use of Norway’s oil revenues and pursue an economic policy that keeps inflation and interest rates down.

Achieving economic security will also require more effective use of our resources. The Government will revitalise the public sector, eliminate unnecessary tasks, and simplify and digitalise processes, so that more time and labour can be devoted to fulfilling society’s most important tasks.

 

Labour market security and stability for the business sector are under pressure due to a shortage of labour and tough international competition.

Since the Government took office, 183 000 more people have found employment. The Government is strengthening welfare-to-work schemes and work-oriented measures in order to achieve its target of getting a further 150 000 people into work by 2030. It must pay to work. People who come to Norway to settle are to be met with clearer demands and expectations as regards learning Norwegian, participating in society and finding work.

International competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Norway’s competitiveness is to be based on knowledge, innovation and technology – and driven by the resources and business communities to be found throughout the country. Cooperation between the business sector and research community is to be strengthened so that new research can be more rapidly applied and translated into value creation and jobs.

Artificial intelligence is creating significant opportunities, but also brings new risks. Frontier AI systems must be developed on the basis of clearly defined safety and security standards and requirements for human oversight and control. The Government will work to promote closer international cooperation on AI regulation.

Companies need stable framework conditions in Norway and access to foreign markets. The Government is working to secure broad cross-party political agreement on reforming the tax system. At a time when international trade barriers are expanding, it is even more important to ensure continued access for Norwegian companies to the European market through the EEA Agreement.

Access to energy is also vital to our competitiveness. Norway is to be a reliable and stable supplier of energy to Europe in a time of uncertainty. Activity on the Norwegian continental shelf is to be further developed.

The Norwegian business sector needs more electricity and grid capacity. The Government will accelerate the pace of development and expand the electricity grid twice as fast as originally planned.

Norway’s greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing. Emissions are to be cut further, and the transition to a low-emission society is also to create value and new jobs. Norway will work to preserve the world’s rainforests and ensure better protection of Norway’s natural environment, for example through the efforts to clean up the Oslo Fjord.

The Government will work to enhance food self-sufficiency in Norway and to provide predictability for income-generation opportunities in the agricultural sector.

 

Ensuring a sense of security for children and young people will require that we reverse the trend in schools and establish a clearer set of guidelines for young people growing up in the digital age.

Most children and young people in Norway are thriving, but school performance is not good enough. Many pupils leave school without adequate reading, writing and numeracy skills.

Schools must go back to the fundamentals. The youngest schoolchildren are to be given more time to concentrate on reading, writing and maths. School curriculums are to be made clearer, and pupils are to be given closer follow-up, for example through tuition in small groups.

Mobile phones have been removed from the classroom. Screen time is to be reduced, textbooks are to be taken back into use, and school libraries are to be strengthened. As a general rule, artificial intelligence is not to be used in primary schools. A minimum age is to be established for social media use.

The Government is stepping up its efforts to combat criminal networks that recruit children and young people. Those who commit crimes or are at risk of doing so are to receive closer follow-up at an earlier stage and any offences are to be met with the appropriate action.

 

Building a robust and reliable public health system becomes more difficult when the number of people needing help and care rises at a time when access to labour is declining.

In its human resources for health plan for 2040 (Helsepersonellplan 2040), the Government has set out measures to ensure that the country has enough health personnel and the right expertise.

GP coverage is now at its highest level for six years, and the GP service is to be modernised, for example through the testing of the new municipal online doctor service.

There are now 59 000 fewer people waiting for hospital treatment than there were in 2021, and the Government has set a new target: as a general rule, patients are to have received or started treatment within 60 days. A new digital solution is now in place that will make it easier for patients to choose where to receive treatment.

More elderly people are to be able to live safely at home for longer. More nursing home places are to be created for those who need one.

The Government will implement a reform of the health system to ensure more cohesive services and better use of personnel and technology.

 

Ensuring security for the country will require us to strengthen our national defence and enhance the resilience of Norwegian society at a time when the world has become more dangerous and more unpredictable, and when competition for technology, value chains and critical resources is intensifying.

NATO is still the main framework for safeguarding Norway’s security. Cooperation between the Nordic countries is closer than ever. Norway is also forging stronger ties with key Allies in Europe and North America, such as the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Canada. The partnerships established on the acquisition of new frigates and submarines are part of this effort.

For many years, the Norwegian Armed Forces were scaled down. Now a rapid build-up is under way. Investments in all branches of the Armed Forces have been significantly increased, and steps are being taken to enhance security in the north.

The country’s civil preparedness is also being strengthened. The Government will present Norway’s first long-term plan for civil preparedness, with electricity, electronic communications and transport as key priority areas. The aim is a more resilient society that is better equipped to withstand crises and attacks.

Norway will continue to stand with Ukraine, and will maintain a high level of military, civilian and humanitarian support.

Norway will stand up for international law, human rights and an international legal order where right prevails over might. For a country like Norway, international law is the first line of defence.

 

We do not know what the coming years will bring. But we know what makes Norway strong: people who have opportunities to use their abilities and feel that they belong; a social safety net that supports us when we need help; and a society that creates jobs and value, delivers up-to-date welfare services and strengthens our security and preparedness.

The Government looks forward to fruitful cooperation with the Storting in the year ahead.

 

I pray that God will bless the deliberations of this Storting, and I hereby declare the 171st session of the Storting to be open.

 

Given at the Royal Palace in Oslo on 25 September 2026

Under Our Hand and the Seal of the Realm