The Norwegian defeat of populism?

After the break-up of the Støre coalition, he appointed erstwhile NATO Secretary to the government. Source: North Atlantic Treaty Organization, flickr. License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

In the fresh elections to the Norwegian Parliament – Storting, the parties of the centreleft block were successful. For some, given the pre-election run and the political sensations that occurred during the last word under the Social Democrats, the consequence may have been a surprise. Who's truly the winner and who's the loser? Are you certain Jonas Gahr Støre has reason to rejoice? We're looking at the political scene in this cold country.

September parliamentary elections in Norway ended with the triumph of the ruling Social Democratic Labour organization for 4 years. For the centre-left group, winning again was a definite success. The number of seats obtained is even higher than in erstwhile elections erstwhile Arbeiderpartiet gained power after years of Conservative rule. The full number of 53 seats in the Norwegian Parliament will most likely supply Prime Minister Jonas Støre with a second consecutive word of office. A favourable Labour organization electoral consequence means that the vote ended with the actual success of progressive groups. With 88 seats, the centreleft block gained an advantage over conservative and right-wing groups, with 81 seats.

A controversial word of office

However, the triumph of the Labour organization was uncertain. The pre-election polls showed frequent declines in support of the ruling group. This may be due to the fact that Jonas Støre’s passing word of office was characterized by many scandals. 1 of them was the controversy surrounding the Ministry of investigation and Higher Education, Sandra Borch. In 2024, in Norwegian media, headed by E24 and Aftenposten, it was reported that Borch had performed a far-reaching plagiarism in his master's thesis. A fewer months later, another scandal, caused by plagiarism information, erupted around the Norwegian wellness minister Ingvild Kjerkol. Previously, the political scandal caused information about the abroad Ministry of Anniken Huitfeldt. The politician's husband was to trade shares of companies on which the course could have been influenced by Huitfeldt. It was primarily about arms and fishing companies. This affair was widely commented on. shortly after, the Labour organization lost its local government elections in Norway for the first time since 1924.

In January, the ruling coalition broke up. Prime Minister Støre then announced that the country would implement European Union energy directives. In consequence to this message, Finance Minister Trygve Vedum of the Eurosceptic Center organization announced that his group was leaving the government. It is worth noting that Jonas Støre in a fresh cabinet, created after the departure of the Centre Party, appointed the popular Minister of Finance in Norway Jens Stoltenberg, erstwhile Secretary General of NATO. In addition to political scandals, the issue of Norwegian oil and natural gas was an crucial subject in the pre-election campaign. It is 1 of the largest exporters of these natural materials in the planet and the largest exporter of gas to the European Union. The Populist organization of advancement supports further exploitation of deposits. The subject caused divisions in the block of leftist groups. The Labour organization and the Centre organization support further mining, in turn the Greens and the SV organization request a departure from gas and oil extraction.

The leader of the advancement organization has already performed many roles in coalition governments, including the Ministry of Health. Source: Stortinget, flickr. License: CC BY NC-ND 2.0

A wave of populism?

Despite the triumph of leftist formations, many commentators focus on a crucial increase in support for the populist organization of Progress. The group scored twice as advanced as in erstwhile elections and finished second, just behind the Labour Party. It is known for its highly anti-immigrant views. His president, Sylvia Listhaug, meets with criticism of his statements on migration. In 2018, erstwhile she served as Minister of Justice, she published a controversial post accusing the Labour organization of putting terrorist interests ahead of the interests of Norwegian citizens. Listhaug met with strong criticism of her words. The Labour organization youth camp was the mark of Anders Breivik's violent terrorist attack in 2011. This fact increased criticism of the actions of the then minister of justice. After the scandal, she resigned erstwhile 1 organization announced a gathering of support for the vote of distrust against her.

Many experts point out that the advanced performance of the advancement organization may have been due to the economical situation and the Norwegians' discontent with the economical policy of the government. In an interview with the European Centre for Population Studies, Dr. Lise Bjånesøy stated that "economic issues specified as property taxation and life costs were crucial in these elections". From the University of Bergen, a investigator besides said that “the advancement organization powerfully opposes the waste of taxpayers’ money. It thus attracts voters dissatisfied with the Labour organization and consolidates support among those frustrated with rising surviving costs."

It is worth noting that the strong increase in support for the Progressive organization was accompanied by a crucial decrease in support for the erstwhile leader among right-wing groups, the conservative Høyre party. It gained 12 seats little than in the 2021 election, and this is its worst score since 2005. Following the election, her erstwhile president Erna Solberg announced that she would leave the post she held for more than 20 years. Although the election ended with the success of the Norwegian left, Arbeiderpartiet faces controversy and low popularity of its prime minister. The problem for Jonas Støre may turn out to be the fact that having most of the block of centroleft formations consists of many different groups. surely the coming word will not be easy for Norwegian decision-makers.

Leo Targoni