Norway's Prime Minister Støre triumphs in election, claims victory

Norway's Parliamentary Election Results: Støre's Labour Party Leads, but Coalition Challenges Ahead

Preliminary results from Norway's parliamentary election held on September 11th indicate a tight race for a potential second term for Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. The Labour Party, led by Støre, secured the largest share of votes with 28.2%, followed by the right-wing populist Progress Party, which significantly increased its vote share compared to the 2021 election, securing 23.9% of the votes.

The Norwegian parliament, known as the Storting, consists of 169 seats. According to the preliminary results, the left-of-center bloc, which includes Støre's party and other parties, has a narrow majority of 87 seats. However, a majority is not necessary in the Norwegian parliament for a party or coalition to govern.

The Social Democratic Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet, Ap) won the largest share with 53 seats, setting the stage for a potential majority in parliament crucial for a second term of Prime Minister Støre, if supported by allied left-center parties. The red-green camp, which includes Støre's party and other parties, has a narrow majority of 87 seats in the Norwegian parliament.

The right-wing Conservatives (Høyre), led by former Prime Minister Erna Solberg, came in third with 14.6% of the votes, a decrease of 5.7 percentage points compared to the 2021 election.

The election results highlight the ideological divisions within the red-green camp, which may complicate stable coalition formation. Three other parties from the red-green spectrum, on whose support Støre's government may depend, have expressed their opposition to any new oil and gas drilling, posing a challenge for a government that relies heavily on the extraction of oil and gas as its primary source of income.

Norway is closely linked to the EU as a member of the European Economic Area (EEA). The Ukraine war and sanctions against Russia have made Norway one of the most important energy suppliers in Europe, further emphasizing the country's reliance on its oil and gas resources.

Approximately four million Norwegians participated in the parliamentary election, resulting in a voter turnout of 78.8%. The final election result is expected in the coming days, and negotiations for coalition formation are expected to commence shortly thereafter.