2013 Norwegian parliamentary election
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| 2013 Norwegian parliamentary election | |
|---|---|
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| Election name | 2013 Norwegian parliamentary election |
| Country | Norway |
| Type | parliamentary |
| Previous election | 2009 Norwegian parliamentary election |
| Previous year | 2009 |
| Next election | 2017 Norwegian parliamentary election |
| Next year | 2017 |
| Seats for election | 169 seats in the Storting |
| Majority seats | 85 |
| Election date | 9 September 2013 |
2013 Norwegian parliamentary election The 2013 Norwegian parliamentary election was held on 9 September 2013 to elect the 169 members of the Storting. The contest featured major parties including the Conservative Party (Norway), the Labour Party (Norway), the Progress Party (Norway), the Centre Party (Norway), the Liberal Party (Norway), the Christian Democratic Party (Norway), the Socialist Left Party (Norway), and the Green Party (Norway). The result produced a shift from the incumbent Red-Green Coalition (Norway) led by Jens Stoltenberg to a center-right coalition led by Erna Solberg.
Background
The election took place after eight years of a center-left alliance under Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and the Labour Party (Norway), formed with the Socialist Left Party (Norway) and the Centre Party (Norway) as the Red-Green Coalition (Norway). Domestic issues such as the aftermath of the 2011 Norway attacks and debates over petroleum policy and public sector reform intersected with European matters including relations with the European Union and the Schengen Area. Internationally, Norway's foreign policy engagements with NATO, interactions with Russia, and participation in United Nations missions framed part of the political discourse prior to the vote.
Electoral system
Norway uses a system of proportional representation in multi-member constituencies corresponding to the country's 19 counties, with leveling seats to ensure national proportionality, as regulated by the Norwegian Constitution and administered by the Norwegian Directorate of Elections. The Sainte-Laguë method is applied to allocate seats, with a 4% election threshold for compensation seats established under Norwegian election law. The 169 seats include 19 leveling seats and 150 district seats, with electorate registration and polling procedures overseen by municipal authorities in accordance with statutes from the Storting.
Campaigns and parties
Major party leaders campaigned across Norway's regions, including visits to Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, and rural constituencies in Nordland and Finnmark. The Conservative Party (Norway) under Erna Solberg emphasized taxation, business policy, and education reform, while the Progress Party (Norway) led by Siv Jensen focused on immigration and welfare issues. The incumbent Labour Party (Norway) and Jens Stoltenberg campaigned on stability, welfare expansion, and petroleum revenues managed through the Government Pension Fund of Norway. Smaller parties such as the Liberal Party (Norway), led by Trine Skei Grande, and the Christian Democratic Party (Norway), with Knute Børve-era themes, targeted alliance possibilities, while the Green Party (Norway) and the Socialist Left Party (Norway) sought to mobilize voters on climate policy and public spending. Debates were held on platforms involving the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, regional policy for Northern Norway, and infrastructure projects such as the Bergen Line improvements.
Opinion polls
Opinion polling leading up to the election showed fluctuating support across major and minor parties in national and constituency-level surveys conducted by organizations with ties to Norwegian media such as NRK, Aftenposten, and VG (newspaper). Polls measured hypothetical coalitions including a center-right bloc combining the Conservative Party (Norway), the Progress Party (Norway), the Liberal Party (Norway), and the Christian Democratic Party (Norway), versus the incumbent Red-Green Bloc of the Labour Party (Norway), the Socialist Left Party (Norway), and the Centre Party (Norway). Some polls indicated a surge for the Conservative Party (Norway) and gains for the Progress Party (Norway), while other surveys suggested resilience for Labour Party (Norway) constituencies in urban centers like Oslo and Bergen.
Results
The election resulted in the defeat of the Red-Green Coalition and a plurality for the center-right bloc; the Conservative Party (Norway) and the Progress Party (Norway) made significant seat gains, while the Labour Party (Norway) lost seats compared with the previous 2009 Norwegian parliamentary election. Transfer of mandates and allocation of leveling seats altered the final seat distribution across counties including Akershus, Hordaland, and Rogaland. Voter turnout, historically high in Norway, remained a central statistic tracked by the Statistics Norway agency. The outcome enabled the formation of a new coalition comprising the Conservative Party (Norway), the Progress Party (Norway), with support negotiations involving the Liberal Party (Norway) and the Christian Democratic Party (Norway) influencing ministerial assignments and policy priorities.
Aftermath and government formation
Following the vote, Erna Solberg negotiated coalition agreements and presented a government to the Storting, marking a shift from Jens Stoltenberg's administration. Coalition talks encompassed portfolios connected to the Ministry of Finance (Norway), the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (Norway), and the Ministry of Education and Research (Norway), with appointments reviewed by the Norwegian King in accordance with constitutional protocol. The new cabinet's program addressed tax policy, immigration rules linked to Schengen Area cooperation, and resource management affecting the petroleum sector. Parliamentary votes of confidence and committee assignments in bodies like the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs formalized legislative control.
Analysis and impact
Commentators from outlets including Aftenposten, Dagbladet, and Dagens Næringsliv analyzed the election as a realignment in Norwegian politics, with center-right policy proposals gaining traction amid debates over welfare state adjustments and petroleum revenue use. Academic assessments from institutions such as the University of Oslo and the Norwegian School of Economics examined implications for taxation, regional policy in Sápmi, and Norway's international posture within NATO and the United Nations. The result influenced subsequent local elections, party strategy ahead of the 2017 Norwegian parliamentary election, and policy trajectories in areas like climate policy involving the Green Party (Norway) and energy governance tied to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (Norway).
Category:Parliamentary elections in Norway Category:2013 elections