The Oxygen of Democracy

Since 2012 this small city on the south coast of Norway has hosted a week of political debates and policy discussions unlike anything I’ve experienced in my own country, Canada. In an age when political discussion has been reduced to sloganeering to grab attention on 20-minute news cycles and social media, what is happening here this week stands out.

Inspired by Almedal week in Sweden, Norwegian politicians, policymakers, NGOs, businesses and others will be here to discuss current and future issues. Norway is facing its highest unemployment in years due to the collapse in oil prices, questions about how to deal with the refugee crisis in Europe, and other challenges.

Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a multi-party electoral system where negotiating coalitions between parties is the norm. This means compromise, if not consensus, usually plays a major role in determining the direction of the country. It’s not a perfect system, but it has advantages over the Canadian first-passed-the-poll system where a minority of votes usually produces a majority government.

There will be over 500 events taking place in town this week – from the role of electric cars to the how to how to deal with the impacts of marine litter, from events for children of all ages to youth debates and free musical and cultural performances.

The discussions will be lively and vigorous. And while they may not necessarily guarantee smooth political sailing, they will demonstrate that open debate is the oxygen of democracy.