Språkvalgene

Språkvalgene, or language elections, are a type of referendum held in Norway, where voters are asked to decide whether a particular language should be recognized as an official language in the country. The process is governed by the Language Act, which was passed in 1992. The act allows for the recognition of a language as an official language if a majority of voters in a referendum support it. The first language election was held in 1993, when voters approved the recognition of Sami as an official language.

The language elections are held every four years, and the next one is scheduled for 2025. The process involves the following steps: a proposal is made by the government or a group of citizens, a committee is appointed to study the proposal, and if the committee recommends it, a referendum is held. If a majority of voters support the proposal, the language is recognized as an official language.

The language elections have been a contentious issue in Norway, with some arguing that they are a way to promote minority languages, while others argue that they are a way to dilute the Norwegian language. The language elections have also been criticized for being too expensive and for not being representative of the Norwegian population. Despite these criticisms, the language elections have been seen as a way to promote linguistic diversity and to give minority languages a voice in Norwegian society.