Most decisions made by the executive power are taken by a minister in his of her capacity as head of a ministry. Any decisions which a minister does not have the authority to make will be made by the Government. When the Government passes resolutions in the plenary, it acts as the Council of State under the King's leadership. The Council of State normally meets Fridays at Oslo's Royal Palace
Jens Stoltenberg's second government in its first session of the Council of State with King Harald V and Crown Prince Haakon, at the Royal Palace in Oslo on 17 October 2005. Photo: Bjørn Sigurdsøn/Scanpix
