EU-debattens fravær i Norge: Strategisk stillhet og demokratisk underskudd

This article analyses the absence of political debate on Norway’s relationship with the EU in light of the 2025 parliamentary election and a dramatically changed geopolitical context. Drawing on the concepts of issue avoidance (Carmines & Stimson, 1980), gag rules (Holmes, 1995), and institutional lock-in (Pierson, 2004), the author argues that the lack of EU debate in Norway is not due to irrelevance, but rather to strategic and institutional suppression. The article shows how a political norm of silence has developed following the referenda in 1972 and 1994, resulting in a democratic deficit at a time when the EU increasingly shapes the framework for Norwegian policy — including in areas such as security, digitalization, and preparedness. In contrast to Sweden and Denmark, which actively participate in shaping EU policies, Norway appears as a passive rule-taker with no real influence. The article’s scholarly contribution lies in combining democratic theory, institutional theory, and international political analysis to explain how the absence of EU debate undermines democratic legitimacy and political accountability. Finally, the article raises a normative question: Can a democracy be said to function properly when one of its most important foreign and security policy issues is treated with systematic silence?