Norway’s Labour Party of Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has claimed victory in Monday’s general election with most votes now counted and with a narrow but clear win by the centre-left block over the right-wing parties.
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Rapturous cheering erupted in Oslo on Monday night as Labour supporters gathered to celebrate a closely fought campaign in which the future of a wealth tax that dates to the late 19th century has been a central issue.
Addressing the crowd, Stoere thanked his supporters and said the victory showed it is possible for Social Democratic parties to win elections even with right-wing forces on the rise in Europe, according to broadcaster VG.
Earlier, Conservative leader Erna Solberg apologised for the dismal performance of her party, which fell to third place in parliament behind the right-wing populist Progress Party that saw its best result ever in a national election.
Addressing supporters, Progress Party leader Sylvi Listhaug was pleased with her party’s result but lamented what she called “four tough years ahead for people and businesses”.
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About 4.3 million people in the Scandinavian nation were eligible to vote for the new 169-member parliament, or Storting. With almost all votes now counted, centre-left parties have won just over the 85 seats needed to form a majority.
Final results are expected on Tuesday and they are likely to be followed by weeks of negotiations to build a coalition and agree on cabinet positions before King Harald can swear in a new government.