The commune of Ålesund was created on January 1, 2020 after the merger of the communes of Ålesund, Skodje, Ørskog, Sandøy and Haram. Haram City Council did not want this amalgamation. The municipality of Ålesund is therefore considered to be "forcibly joined".

The municipal council in Ålesund decided on March 17 to submit an application for the division of the municipality

The government gave the forcibly joined communes the opportunity to apply for the division so that the inhabitants could regain their former commune. The municipal council in Ålesund decided on March 17 to submit an application for the division of the municipality. They applied for a division in which a separate community would be created from a part of the former Haram commune. At the same time, the area of ​​Vatne / Tennfjord and Søvik / Grytastranda will be located in the municipality of Ålesund.

The government does not want such a solution

- Ålesund City Council has applied for a split where a large proportion of the inhabitants and area of ​​the former Haram municipality will not join the new Haram. The government does not want such a solution, and the referendum in Haram shows that the vast majority of residents will restore Haram as their own municipality, says Sigbjørn Gjelsvik, local government and county minister.

In section 5 of the Act on Divisions, it is stated that the king decides to divide the commune when the commune is in debt and has agreed to the proposal. If the municipality is against the division, the case is referred to the Storting for decision. The government will present the division of Ålesund in its proposal to the Storting together with the proposal for the division of the county.