 | |
 Norway |  Sweden |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of Norway inStockholm | Embassy of Sweden inOslo |
| Envoy | |
| Ambassador Anne K. Lund | Ambassador Axel Wernhof |
Norway andSweden have a very long history together. They were both part of theKalmar Union between 1397 and 1523, and apersonal union between 1814 and 1905. The countries established diplomatic relations in 1905, after thedissolution of the union.
Swedenhas an embassy inOslo and 14 honorary consulates, inÅlesund,Arendal,Bergen,Bodø,Hamar,Hammerfest,Kirkenes,Mandal,Moss,Narvik,Porsgrunn,Stavanger,Tromsø andTrondheim.[1] Norway has an embassy inStockholm and three consulates, inGothenburg,Malmö andSundsvall.
Both countries are full members of theCouncil of Europe,Nordic Council,Joint Expeditionary Force andNATO.
Sweden and Norway were already partly linked by dynastic ties in theMiddle Ages andearly modern period. This led to thefirst personal union in 1319 under KingMagnus Eriksson, which lasted until 1355.[2] From 1397, both realms belonged to theKalmar Union, an alliance of all three Nordic kingdoms under one monarch, initiated byDanish QueenMargaret I. This union broke apart in 1523 when Sweden seceded underGustav Vasa, while Norway remained with Denmark. After that, rivalry and wars shaped the relationship between Sweden andDenmark-Norway. There were several border changes in Sweden's favor: In theTorstenson War, Sweden forced Norway to cede the provinces ofJämtland andHärjedalen in thePeace of Brömsebro in 1645, and in theTreaty of Roskilde in 1658,[3][4] Norway lostBohuslän, among other territories, to Sweden, and also briefly ceded the province ofTrøndelag, which Norway regained in 1660.
During theNapoleonic Wars, Sweden changed alliances and lostFinland toRussia in 1809. Denmark-Norway, on the other hand, sided with Napoleon and suffered a heavy defeat in 1814. In January 1814, theTreaty of Kiel forced Denmark to cede Norway to Sweden. The Norwegians responded with a declaration of independence: on May 17, 1814, theNorwegian Constituent Assembly adopted aliberal constitution and elected the Danish princeChristian Frederik as king. However, Sweden – represented by Crown PrinceKarl XIV John (Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte) – did not accept this and invaded Norway with around 50,000 soldiers in the summer of 1814. After brief fighting (including battles for theFredriksten Fortress and at theKjølberg Bridge), Norway surrendered in part. On August 14, 1814, an agreement was reached in theConvention of Moss. Norway recognized Swedish sovereignty but was allowed to retain itsEidsvoll Constitution (one of the most liberal of its time) with certain adjustments and enter into a personal union with Sweden.[5] King Christian Frederik abdicated, and the Swedish kingCharles XIII (known as Charles II in Norway) became joint head of state. This personal union, officially called theUnited Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, began in November 1814 and was to last for almost a century.
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The Swedish-Norwegian Union was unique in that both states retained their own constitutions, parliaments, laws, administrations, currencies, and armies. They were united by the monarch—who was king of both Sweden and Norway—and a common foreign and consular policy, which was directed from Stockholm.[6] Norway thus had internal autonomy, but found itself in a subordinate position in foreign policy. In the early phase of the union, the Norwegians grudgingly accepted this arrangement; in 1821, the Norwegian parliament (Storting) at least succeeded in having its own flag (with a union symbol in the corner) introduced. The royal governor's office, which was usually held by a Swede, was abolished in 1873 under pressure from Norway. Since then, the Norwegian head of government has held the title ofPrime Minister and resided inChristiania (Oslo).[5]
During the 19th century,nationalism grew stronger in Norway. There were several conflicts with Stockholm over Norwegian participation in foreign policy and debates about equal rights in the diplomatic service. The dispute over Norway's own consular service escalated towards the end of the century: Norway demanded the right to establish its ownconsulates abroad in order to represent its own trade interests, while Sweden refused. The Norwegian Storting passed several laws to establish an independent consular service, but KingOscar II consistently vetoed them. This crisis came to a head in 1905 when, on June 7, the Norwegian government underChristian Michelsen resigned en masse after the king again refused to confirm a consular law. Since Oscar II was unable (and unwilling) to appoint a new Norwegian government, the Storting unilaterally declared that the king was “no longer able to perform his duties as King of Norway,” thereby proclaiming thedissolution of the union. In Norway, areferendum on August 13, 1905, confirmed the separation by an overwhelming majority: 368,208 voters voted in favor of ending the union, with only 184 against (women, who did not yet have the right to vote at that time, also expressed their support en masse in separate signature campaigns).[6]
After several weeks of tense diplomatic contacts – both sides even mobilized troops on the border – negotiations on the terms of separation took place in the Swedish city ofKarlstad. On September 23, 1905, the delegations agreed on a compromise, theTreaty of Karlstad, thereby preventing war. Sweden agreed to respect Norway's decision, but demanded, among other things, that the border fortresses (such as Fredriksten Fortress) be demolished as a security measure. King Oscar II subsequently officially recognized Norway as an independent state and renounced the Norwegian throne on October 26, 1905. Norway rejected an offer to appoint a Swedish prince as the new Norwegian king. Instead, in a separate vote, the Norwegian people electedPrince Carl of Denmark as king, who ascended the throne as Haakon VII on November 25, 1905.[6] The peaceful resolution of the crisis—not a single shot was fired—was praised internationally as a civilized precedent.[7]
In the years that followed, Sweden and Norway signed a friendship treaty (1907) and Norway and Sweden remained in theScandinavian Monetary Union until 1914. Although a certain mutual scepticism remained in the politicallyconservative camp in both countries, friendly relations soon prevailed. In theFirst World War, both Sweden and Norway declared theirneutrality; efforts were made to settle trade issues jointly and to alleviate bottlenecks together. While Norwaywas occupied byNazi troops in 1940, Sweden maintained its neutrality during theSecond World War. Nevertheless, Sweden supported the Norwegians in subtle ways: Norwegian refugees found refuge in Sweden, and some Norwegians could train militarily on Swedish soil to liberate their homeland.[8] After 1945, ties continued to strengthen. Both countries joined theUnited Nations in 1946 and, together with Denmark,Iceland, andFinland, founded theNordic Council in 1952. Although they took different paths in terms of security policy – Norway was one of the founding members ofNATO in 1949, while Sweden pursued a policy of non-aligned neutrality – this had little impact on bilateral cooperation. During theCold War, Stockholm and Oslo worked closely together to build trust between NATO and theEastern Bloc and remained closely intertwined economically and culturally.
An important step toward economic integration between the two countries was the introduction of theNordic Passport Union (1954) and Norway's subsequent participation in theEFTA, while Sweden joined theEU in 1995. The open border and linguistic similarities facilitated mobility: tens of thousands of Swedes and Norwegians live and work in the neighboring country, which has created family and social ties. The countries also emphasized their closeness at the state level. In the 21st century, relations remained excellent. Both countries share values such as democracy, social welfare, and often act in union. They cooperate closely on energy issues (e.g., interconnection of electricity grids) and on environmental and climate protection in the far north. When Sweden abandoned its non-aligned security policy in the wake of theRussian attack on Ukraine in 2022 and applied to join NATO, Norway expressly welcomed this.[9] Both countries have cooperated lately in Northern Europe to strengthen their defense readiness against Russia.
The economies of Sweden and Norway are closely intertwined. Sweden is one of Norway's most important trading partners: in 2023, around 7.7% of Norwegian exports went to Sweden, and around 10.8% of Norwegian imports came from Sweden.[10] Conversely, Norway is also one of Sweden's largest export markets – trade is dominated by energy and raw materials from Norway and industrial products from Sweden. Norway traditionally suppliespetroleum andnatural gas, electrical energy (hydropower) andfishery products to Sweden, while Sweden mainly exportsmachinery,vehicles,chemical products andconsumer goods to Norway. Trade benefits from Norway's participation in theEU single market via theEuropean Economic Area (EEA). There are virtually no customs barriers and the border can be crossed freely. Both countries have a long tradition of cross-border economic cooperation. There have been several cross-border mergers in heavy industry and the banking sector. For example, the Swedish car manufacturerVolvo also has a strong presence in Norway, while Norwegian companies (e.g. in the energy sector) invest in Sweden.
The close economic ties are also evident in everyday life: thousands of Norwegians regularly visit Swedish border towns to shop (“Harrytur”),[11] because certain goods (such as food and alcohol) are cheaper in Sweden. Conversely, many Swedes commute to Norway for work, particularly in the service sector, where wages are often higher.
Culturally, Sweden and Norway have traditionally been closely linked. Both countries share aScandinavian heritage, andNorwegian andSwedish are closely related languages that are largely mutually intelligible. This linguistic and cultural proximity has historically led to lively exchanges in literature, art, and science. The royal families of both countries are in close contact; even today, the Scandinavian monarchies are related and pay mutual visits. Official cultural cooperation takes place within the framework of theNordic Culture Fund, in particular through the Nordic Council, which promotes mutual cultural relations.[12] There are numerous joint cultural projects, such as the Nordic Music and Literature Prize awarded annually by the Nordic Council, in which Swedish and Norwegian contributions are often prominently represented.[13]
There are around 44,773Swedes living in Norway[14] and 41,062Norwegians living in Sweden.[15]
Crossing the border between Sweden and Norway is relatively simple. No passport is required due to theNordic Passport Union and there are no physical border obstructions. However, since Norway is not part of theEuropean Union customs controls can be made if traveling by car to prohibit smuggling. Foreign citizens requiring visa to either state are not allowed to cross the border legally without applying for visa again. There are no restrictions on non-felon Swedish and Norwegian people's rights to live in the neighbouring country.
While Norway was one of the founding members ofNATO, Sweden has only been a member since 2024. In 2022, Sweden andFinland both sought membership as a consequence of theRussian invasion of Ukraine. While Finland's entry took place mid-2023, Sweden's entry was prolonged by multiple hurdles[16] but was finally approved early 2024 and officially joined on March 7, 2024.[17]
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