TUESDAY is Independence Day. Not in Scotland, just yet, but in a nearby country. May 17 is Constitution Day in Norway. Grunnlovsdagen, as it’s called, is a public holiday held each year to mark the signing of the Constitution of Norway on May 17, 1814.
A little bit of history is helpful to see what links there may be with Scotland’s path.
The celebration of this day began spontaneously among students. However, Norway was at that time in a union with Sweden (following the Convention of Moss in August 1814, by which they shared a monarch as separate nations) and for some years the King of Sweden and Norway was reluctant to allow the celebrations. For some years during the 1820s, King Karl Johan actually banned it, believing these celebrations were, in fact, a kind of protest against the union.
The king’s attitude changed after the Battle of the Square in 1829, an incident which resulted in such a commotion that the king had to allow commemorations on the day. It was, however, not until 1833 that public addresses were held, and official celebration was initiated near the monument of former government minister Christian Krohg, who had spent much of his political life curbing the power of the monarch.
Interestingly, it wasn’t until 1905 that the union with Sweden was dissolved and Prince Carl of Denmark was chosen to be King of an independent Norway, under the name Haakon VII.
It’s a very special day in Norway – a people’s celebration that is distinctly non-military. Schools all over the country organise children’s parades and visits to homes for the elderly. There are marching bands and people singing the national anthem. People wear red, white and blue ribbons and some wear the traditional dress known as bunad. And thousands march through Oslo.
Constitution Day is also celebrated by Norwegians across the world. I have personal memories of this Norwegian passion. When I attended Heriot Watt University it had a student population that was almost a quarter Norwegian. Back then, it was a source of considerable amazement for local students to be confronted by a bunch of folks, who generally were thought to be even more dour than Scots, suddenly throwing sobriety to the winds.
Most of us knew little about Norway, and even less about constitutions, so it came as a shock to see these celebrations. Especially at a time when most students were panicking ahead of rapidly approaching exams.
We were perplexed about generally restrained folks suddenly becoming joyous about a scrap of paper, as this is how most of us viewed a constitution.
Now I feel very different. Norwegians were right to celebrate their constitution. As a nation they understood what many Scots still don’t, that it is essential to spell out to yourselves and others what you stand for, and what you will not stand for. Like people, nations have values. Most of the time these values, for individuals and states, go unsaid. But they help us navigate through life. And they are what make us, us.
Compare and contrast the civilised nature of constitutions like Norway with that of the UK. The flummery and downright nonsense and silliness of the State Opening of Parliament would be hard to beat. People dolled up in fancy costumes telling the great unwashed they ought to be happy with their lot. A “stand in” for the head of state sits alongside a crown that has a seat to itself. You could not make this up!
As one report put it: “Today a priceless gold hat with a 317-carat diamond and 400 other jewels was driven in a custom-made Rolls Royce to a £2.5 billion palace, where it was placed next to a gold chair in which sat one of the world’s richest men, in a room crammed with unelected legislators. Astoundingly, he told two million cold, hungry subjects that there’s no money to help them.”
The tabloids then laud the stand in because he can read a script. This is all so sick, it borders on obscene.
As Dr Elliot Bulmer says: “The problem is not so much about the hereditary prince, the golden throne or even the unelected chamber – it is the incongruity of all that ridiculous pomp in a country riddled with corruption, abuse of office, child poverty, homelessness, food banks, stagflation, isolation."
I do feel this is a tipping point. This obscene nonsense surely must come to an end. It has little place in a state that is failing its people. More and more people are saying: We need to hear it for the Norse and get rid of this circus stuffed with clowns.
Join us this week for the TNT show. The show starts at 7pm on Wednesday
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel