Societal Safety and Security in Norway: The Conceptualizing of Securitization in Contemporary Public Documents

Over the past 25 years, various official documents have shaped the understanding of societal safety and security in Norway (Morsut 2021). These documents demonstrate how resources and political will are sought mobilized to tackle risks and threats, but they also raise questions about democratic accountability and the potential for overemphasizing certain risks at the expense of others. This paper aims to explore the extent to which securitization issues are being expressed in contemporary official documents to examine to what extent there is a shift from the notion of societal security and safety to a more territorial concept of national security. By specifically investigating four significant recent public documents (Meld. St. 5 2020-2021, NoU, 2023:17, NoU 2023:14, Meld. St. 9 2024-2025), this paper reveals how notions of risks and threats are framed and addressed in relation to contemporary risks such as hybrid threats and the war in Ukraine. The paper highlights the risks associated with over-securitization, where an excessive range of issues are framed as security threats. Through document analysis, it investigates references to `existential' dangers and the deliberate use of `security' language, including phrases conveying a `sense of urgency' and `imagery of exhortations'. Furthermore, it examines how democratic values and civil rights principles are safeguarded in the face of new laws, regulations, and increased civil and military preparedness.

Keywords: Securitization, De-securitization, Social safety, Societal security, Normal policy, Preparedness.