The Norwegian Constitution, originally written in 1814 and kept with some edits and changes since, was considered revolutionary for its time. It was written by a meeting of Christian Frederick and 21 distinguished men, known as the Meeting of Notables, and contained multiple concepts from the earlier US Constitution of 1787 and the French Constitution of 1789. This included the “Rights of Man,” the “Sovereignty of People,” and the “Separation of Powers.” The biggest hurdle in the adoption of the constitution was the transition from an absolute monarchy to a nearly entirely constitutional one. (I say nearly entirely because if parliament can’t decide upon the next prime minister, the king has the final say, though in the British constitution, the monarch can technically appoint anyone to the position)
Oct 17