Elverum Authorization

The Elverum Authorization (Norwegian: Elverumsfullmakten) allowed the Norwegian executive branch to temporarily and legitimately assert absolute authority while removed from the capitol, Oslo. The action was approved unanimously by the Parliament of Norway (the Storting) on 9 April 1940, in the town of Elverum, in Norway, after the Norwegian royal family, executive branch, and parliament had evacuated Oslo to evade capture by German troops in the course of Operation Weserübung during World War II.

Text

The authorization reads, in translated form:

“

The Storting authorizes the Government, until the time comes when the Government and the presidency of the Storting is able to confer and assemble the Storting to its next ordinary session, to maintain the interests of the realm and make those decisions and determinations on behalf of the Storting and Government, that are considered needed to maintain the country's security and future.

”

Significance

The authorization is of historical significance because it allowed the Norwegian executive branch to assert legitimacy —even while in exile.

Debate

It is also controversial in that it constituted a complete abandonment of the legislative powers in Norway during the war. The issue was brought to the Norwegian Supreme Court, which ruled that the authorization was legitimate and valid.

Some critics have claimed that the authorization was never formally put to a vote, and that it in any case was invalid because there was no constitutional basis for the Storting to hand over its functions to the executive branch. These critics also claim that Section 17 – which was invoked in the authorization – only authorized emergency powers within the areas of "trade", "customs", "economy" and "police" until the Storting could be seated again.

Result

In any event, the legitimacy of the exiled government was to little extent called into question during or after the war, except by the Quisling government and the German occupying power.