Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honour and privilege for me to be in Georgia and here at the Tbilisi State University. Georgia is a wonderful country, and it is always such a pleasure to visit you and meet the people. I am especially happy to be able to discuss democracy with such a distinguished audience of professors, students, the media and civil society representatives.

Dear friends,

I adore Georgian polyphonic choir music! To listen to a recording of the Rustavi Ensemble or “Georgian Voices” is an exhilarating journey through history, traditions, religion and culture. Georgian polyphony is unique and one of the best examples of the strength and importance of folk cultures.

What also makes Georgian polyphonic music wonderful is that it is so upliftingly democratic. Each voice is distinct, yet equal. It is precisely the harmony created by the differences of the individual voices and tones that makes this music so special. Just as politics is created in the interchange between different opinions, your folk music is created by uniting distinct voices.

Georgian polyphony is to music what democracy is to politics. Interestingly, both democracy and polyphonic singing date back to the same period of history. Around the 5th Century BC, the Athenians developed democracy and the Georgians developed polyphonic singing. There must have been something in the air then!

Ladies and gentlemen,

Whereas Georgian traditions and culture are old and strong, your democracy is young and fragile. Still, the democratic development of Georgia since your independence in 1991 has been formidable. In spite of certain difficulties and times of hardship, the Georgian people have chosen the path towards democracy.

In particular, I would like to commend you on your achievements after the war with Russia in August 2008. The war was a terrible set-back for the country. And let me be clear, Norway fully recognizes the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. Norway has also taken a clear stand against the bilateral agreement concluded between Russia and the de-facto authorities of Abkhazia last autumn and South Ossetia last week.

However, in spite of the recent difficulties in Georgia, the country has continued to develop its democracy. Peaceful elections have resulted in a transfer of power. This was never a given.

The success of democratic consolidation in Georgia is not only important for the country itself, but for the region and the international community at large. Most of Georgia’s neighbours have taken political steps backward in recent years. This is why it is ever more important to demonstrate that peaceful democratization is the most prosperous way forward.

Dear friends,

Two days ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the grave of one of my distant relatives here in Tbilisi, Zurab Avalishvili. He was the deputy foreign minister of Georgia from independence in 1918 until he had to flee from the Red Army in 1921. He was also the Georgian delegate to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 after the First World War. During this conference, the independence of the Caucasian states was recognised by the international community and the League of Nations was created. Yet this was not enough to prevent new wars breaking out in Europe. Only 20 years later, the Second World War erupted with some of the worst ever atrocities against human kind.

We need to remember and learn from our history. Only by confronting the problems of our own past are we equipped to take on today’s corresponding menaces. We must carry the lessons of history with us when, once again, Europe and European values are under threat.

The security situation has worsened considerably over the past year, both because of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq, Syria and beyond. We are also witnessing burgeoning radicalization and racism in Europe. This is deeply disturbing. The shock that followed the terrorist acts in Paris and Copenhagen earlier this winter is still with us. Both were cases of extremists resorting to violence and murder in the name of the beliefs they claim to be defending.

Almost four years ago, an extremist who maintained he was fighting Islamism subjected my own country to brutal terror and mass murder. One of the victims was Georgian, Ms Tamta Liparteliani.

The Russian aggression in Georgia and Ukraine, the terrorist attacks in European capitals and the growing racism demonstrates that democracy must never be taken for granted. We need to fight for it, protect it and debate it every day.

A few weeks ago, a group of young Norwegian Muslims organized a peaceful demonstration to show solidarity with the Jewish population in Norway. Over 1000 Muslims, many of them young women, linked hands and formed a protective human ring around Oslo´s synagogue. They were offering a symbolic protection of Oslo´s Jewish community after the terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen.

For me, this was a unique kind of anti-hate campaign and a beautiful way to condemn terrorism.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Georgian democracy, just like any other democracy, is fragile. It needs to be nurtured and protected. In this regard, I would like to make some comments about the role of the majority and the opposition.

In Georgia, you have a vibrant and loud opposition. That is great! As is written in a Council of Europe document: “Every country has a government, only democracies have an opposition”.

The concept of an opposition is closely linked to the concept of political freedoms and the right to form different opinions, groups and associations. Parliament, after all, is fundamentally about debate – about the right to express dissent in a civilized manner. If these systems are perceived as not working well, democratic rights and freedoms can be fundamentally threatened.

A parliament cannot function well without a respected and respectful opposition. Ensuring the rights of the opposition means ensuring the principle of agreeing not to agree, of creating a platform for discussion within a peaceful framework. Within this, different views can flourish and alternative political platforms can be built. It means creating safeguards to avoid the abuse of power and establishing control mechanisms.

Saying this, the opposition themselves have responsibilities as well as rights. They should not disagree simply for the sake of disagreeing, but participate in and contribute to a constructive debate and the making of well-founded decisions.

In such an environment, where those in power and the opposition are able to have civilized discussions about what is best for the future of the country, it is possible to reach political compromise. A broad political consensus is much stronger than a decision taken by the majority which pays no heed to the opposition.

The tradition of political compromise is strong in Western Europe and certainly in my own country. But I believe compromise is not regarded as favourably in Eastern Europe, including here in Georgia. In my view the tradition of “winner takes it all” is a weakness when trying to build democracies over time and make politics to last for the future. The only thing that is certain when you sit in power in a democracy is that one day you will sit in opposition. Mutual respect and trust in each other is therefore a must for all.

This is about viewing democracy as a continuous process, and not as a battle for transient political power. This continuous process includes the need to secure the best possible environment in which to develop political ideas for the good of the country. It is my belief that the best politics will always be developed in the dynamic relationship between the powers in government and the opposition. Not simply because in most well-functioning democracies the opposition will one day be in power, but also because the exchange of views between those in power and the opposition is a vital channel for bringing changes in public opinion to the foreground and to the attention of the majority.

In short, this concerns the mutual trust between the political elite and public opinion, between the authorities and the population at large. And it concerns the absolute need for broad political participation in a modern, representative democracy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In 2014, Norway commemorated the bicentenary of its constitution, the second oldest constitution in the world still in use. But we did not only celebrate this important historic text. We celebrated 200 years of democratic development. Let me share with you the main lesson learned from looking back at our history of democracy.

Whereas the constitution itself and the institutions that we have developed to serve and protect the fundamental principles of democracy are important, participation is the key to keeping the democracy alive and vibrant.

A successful democracy requires us to engender full participation in our democratic processes; at work, at school and in the wide variety of voluntary activities that we take part in. It requires that people have a sense of belonging and equality, and that they have confidence in the institutions of democracy. These institutions must be easily accessible and provide equal opportunities for all.

This concerns the matter of political participation, and that brings me on to the role of political parties in democracies. Political parties are the bedrock of a democracy. The parties are always more important than the politicians; it is they who represent continuity in the democratic process.

The parties are where political ideas are formed and formulated, sometimes rejected and sometimes used as the basis for important changes in society. In Norway, they are also the main gateway into political participation. This may be where the parties have their most important role to play, locally and nationally. If they are not able to ensure that all groups in society have the opportunity to take part in political processes, and to be represented in the party and in elected political bodies at all levels, then who will?

Ladies and gentlemen,

The question of representation and participation does not rest on the parties and the political system alone. In a representative democracy we all share this responsibility.

In fact, one of our greatest challenges is to include and engage all citizens so that they may take an active part in our democracy, now and in the future. Without the participation of the people, how can there be a relevant political debate on the future of the country?

You, as professors, teachers, students, representatives of the media and civil society, have a particular responsibility in this regard.

Today’s students are the teachers, civil servants, journalists and leaders of tomorrow. You will be shaping future generations and you will be the strong voices of your own generation. The values and political culture that you carry with you will play a vital role in shaping and protecting the democracy – and with it the society – of tomorrow.

Even today it is your duty to ensure and facilitate the existence of an informed political debate. This political debate is the most important tool there is for holding a government accountable to its people.

Dear friends,

Culture brings people together. Culture is key to promoting understanding and fellowship between people. Culture can open doors and create platforms for dialogue. Let us learn from the Georgian polyphonic choirs. Let us enjoy and respect the different voices in our society. Make them all be heard and come together. Democracy depends on it.

Thank you for your attention. I would be delighted to answer any questions you may have.