folkevalgtes

Folkevalgte is the Norwegian term for individuals elected to public bodies, such as a national parliament, regional councils, or municipal boards. The term denotes those who have been chosen through elections and thereby hold a mandate to represent the electorate. Folkevalgtes is the genitive plural form, used when referring to something that belongs to the elected representatives, for example folkevalgtes rettigheter (the rights of the elected representatives) or folkevalgtes plikter (the duties of the elected representatives).

In public administration and political discourse, folkevalgte are distinguished from appointed officials or civil servants, highlighting democratic legitimacy derived from elections. The concept underpins representative democracy and is central to discussions of mandate, accountability, and governance. Legal and constitutional texts often specify the rights, duties, remuneration, and immunity of the folkevalgte, along with rules governing elections, term lengths, and conflicts of interest. The term is commonly used in Norwegian media, political science, and government documentation.

Linguistic notes: In Bokmål Norwegian, the plural form is folkevalgte and the genitive plural form is folkevalgtes. In Nynorsk and regional varieties, equivalent forms exist, and the exact possessive construction may vary. Regardless of dialect, the core idea remains the same: folkevalgte refers to those elected to represent the people, while folkevalgtes denotes something pertaining to or belonging to them.