2021 Norwegian parliamentary election

{{main|2017 Norwegian parliamentary election}}

{{further|2017 Norwegian parliamentary election#Government formation and aftermath}}

In the 2017 parliamentary election held on 11 September, Erna Solberg of the Conservatives retained her position as prime minister after four years in power. Her premiership additionally received the support of the Progress Party, the Liberals, and the Christian Democrats, who combined secured 88 of the 169 seats in parliament. The opposition, led by Jonas Gahr Støre and his Labour Party, won 81 seats. Other opposition parties included the Centre Party, Socialist Left, the Greens, and the Red Party.{{cite web|url=https://valgresultat.no/?type=st&year=2017|title=Stortingsvalg 2017|website=Valgresultat|publisher=Norwegian Directorate of Elections|language=no|date=26 February 2017|accessdate=19 October 2021}}

The Christian Democrats voted at a party conference to join Solberg's government on 2 November 2018 and on 16 January 2019, Solberg's Conservatives struck a deal with the Christian Democratic Party. This marked the first time since 1985 that Norway would have a majority government representing right-wing parties in the Storting.{{cite web |last=Schaart |first=Eline |title=Norwegian government safe after Christian party votes to join its ranks |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/norwegian-government-safe-after-christian-party-votes-to-join-its-ranks-erna-solberg/ |website=Politico Europe |access-date=29 January 2019|date=2 November 2018 }}{{cite web |last1=Henry |first1=Galaxy |title=Norway: PM Solberg strikes deal to form center-right majority |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/norway-pm-erna-solberg-strikes-deal-to-form-centre-right-majority/ |website=Politico Europe |access-date=29 January 2019|date=18 January 2019 }}

On 20 January 2020, the Progress Party decided to withdraw from the government due to a decision by Solberg to repatriate a woman linked to Islamic State and her children back to Norway. Despite this, Solberg said that she and her party would continue to head a minority government, and the other parties in the coalition (the Christian Democrats and the Liberals) have also stated they would continue to serve in it.{{cite news|last1=Tjernshaugen |first1=Karen |last2=Ole Ask |first2=Alf |last3=Ruud |first3=Solveig |last4=Magne |first4=Kjetil |title=Frp går ut av regjeringen. Nå er stolleken om hvem som skal overta statsrådspostene i gang. |url=https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/politikk/i/naJ90a/frp-gaar-ut-av-regjeringen-naa-er-stolleken-om-hvem-som-skal-overta-statsraadspostene-i-gang |work=Aftenposten |language=nb}}{{cite web |title=Norway left with minority government after populists quit |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/norway-left-minority-government-populists-quit-68403572 |website=ABC News |last=Olsen |first=Jan M. |agency=Associated Press |date=20 January 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/norway-politics-islamic-state-primeminis/norway-pm-solberg-says-to-stay-in-office-with-minority-government-idUSO9N28G00D|title=Norway PM Solberg says to stay in office with minority government|author=Terje Solsvik|editor=Gwladys Fouche|date=20 January 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=5 September 2020}}

{{further|Elections in Norway|Politics of Norway}}

The election used party-list proportional representation in nineteen multi-member constituencies.{{cite web|title=Slik fordeles stemmene våre / how the Storting is composed|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw-U-JOCu6I|publisher=NRK|website=YouTube| date=8 September 2013 |language=no|access-date=21 September 2021}} The number of members to be returned from each constituency varies between 4 and 19. To determine the apportionment of the 169 seats amongst the 19 counties, a two-tier formula is used, based on population and geographic size. Each inhabitant counts one point, while each square kilometer counts 1.8 points.

A total of 150 of the seats are regular district seats. These are awarded based on the election results in each county, and are unaffected by results in other counties. Nineteen of the seats (one for each county) are leveling seats, awarded to parties who win fewer seats than their share of the national popular vote otherwise entitles them to. A modification of the Sainte-Lague method, where the first quotient for each party is calculated using a divisor of 1.4 instead of 1, is used to allocate both the constituency and leveling seats. A party must win 4% of the popular vote in order to win compensation seats but may still win district seats even if it fails to reach this threshold. The system for apportioning seats is biased in favour of rural areas since the area of the county is a factor, but the system of compensation seats reduces the effect this has on final party strength.

On 21 June 2017, Solberg's Cabinet established a committee tasked with reviewing the electoral system used in Norwegian parliamentary elections.{{cite news|title=Utvalget som skal foreslå ny valglov snart i sving|url=https://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/politikk/2017/09/13/195332051/utvalget-som-skal-foresla-ny-valglov-snart-i-sving|work=ABC Nyheter|access-date=22 September 2017|language=no}} The 17-member committee, which was led by court judge {{ill|Ørnulf Røhnebæk|no}}, published its report on the electoral system on 27 May 2020.{{cite web|date=27 May 2020|title=Free and secret elections|url=https://www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/0516829ddd434b86880c80e9ceec0281/en-gb/pdfs/nou202020200006000engpdfs.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=30 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830164107/https://www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/0516829ddd434b86880c80e9ceec0281/en-gb/pdfs/nou202020200006000engpdfs.pdf |archive-date=30 August 2021 }} The committee agreed that the number of seats should remain at 169. Furthermore, a majority of the committee favoured the retention of the current 19 constituencies, lowering the electoral threshold to 3% and the abolition of the two-tier formula for the apportionment of seats; however, the proposed reforms to the electoral law are planned to be implemented in 2022, meaning that they would only apply from the next parliamentary election in 2025. The reform of the counties and municipalities came into effect on 1 January 2021 and resulted in a reduction in the number of counties from 19 to 11;{{cite web|date=2019-03-20|title=Regulations for the 2019 local government elections for municipalities and counties that are subject to boundary changes that come into effect January 1st 2020|url=https://www.regjeringen.no/en/dokumenter/regulations-for-the-2019-local-government-elections-for-municipalities-and-counties-that-are-subject-to-boundary-changes-that-come-into-effect-january-1st-2020/id2637010/|website=Government.no|publisher=Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation|access-date=30 August 2021}} the 19 constituencies no longer correspond to the county boundaries.{{Cite web|date=10 April 2018|title=Prop. 76 L (2017–2018)|url=https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/prop.-76-l-20172018/id2596570/|url-status=live|access-date=21 September 2021|website=regeringen.no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704103745/https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/prop.-76-l-20172018/id2596570/ |archive-date=4 July 2019 }}

As the 2017 election was held on 11 September, the 2021 election was to be held on 13 September. According to the Constitution of Norway, parliamentary elections must be held every four years. The Norwegian parliament may not be dissolved before such a parliamentary four-year term has ended, which in practice makes snap elections impossible.{{cite web|title=Oppløsningsrett og investitur avvist nok en gang|url=http://www.sv.uio.no/isv/forskning/aktuelt/blogg/ta-politika/2012/avvist-investitur-opplosningsrett.html|publisher=Department of Political Science, University of Oslo|access-date=22 September 2017|language=no}}

{{see also|List of political parties in Norway}}

{{excerpt|Opinion polling for the 2021 Norwegian parliamentary election|Graphical summary}}

{{see also|List of members of the Parliament of Norway, 2021–2025}}

{{Election results

|image=File:Norway Storting 2021.svg

|party1=Labour Party|votes1=783394|seats1=48|sc1=–1

|party2=Conservative Party|votes2=607316|seats2=36|sc2=–9|color2={{party color|Conservative Party of Norway (2020)}}

|party3=Centre Party|votes3=402961|seats3=28|sc3=+9

|party4=Progress Party|votes4=346474|seats4=21|sc4=–6

|party5=Socialist Left Party|votes5=228063|seats5=13|sc5=+2

|party6=Red Party|votes6=140931|seats6=8|sc6=+7

|party7=Liberal Party|votes7=137433|seats7=8|sc7=0

|party8=Green Party|votes8=117647|seats8=3|sc8=+2

|party9=Christian Democratic Party|votes9=113344|seats9=3|sc9=–5

|party10=Democrats in Norway|votes10=34068|seats10=0|sc10=0

|party11=Pensioners' Party|votes11=19006|seats11=0|sc11=0

|party12=The Christians|votes12=10448|seats12=0|sc12=0

|party13=Industry and Business Party|votes13=10031|seats13=0|sc13=New

|party14=Center Party|votes14=7836|seats14=0|sc14=New

|party15=Health Party|votes15=6490|seats15=0|sc15=0|color15=#FF7900

|party16=Patient Focus|votes16=4950|seats16=1|sc16=New

|party17=Capitalist Party|votes17=4520|seats17=0|sc17=0

|party18=People's Action No to More Road Tolls|votes18=3435|seats18=0|sc18=New

|party19=Alliance – Alternative for Norway|votes19=2489|seats19=0|sc19=0

|party20=Pirate Party|votes20=2308|seats20=0|sc20=0

|party21=Communist Party of Norway|votes21=301|seats21=0|sc21=0

|party22=Feminist Initiative|votes22=275|seats22=0|sc22=0

|party23=Generation Party|votes23=199|seats23=0|sc23=New|color23=#00B878

|party24=Coastal Party|votes24=171|seats24=0|sc24=0

|party25=Save Nature|votes25=97|seats25=0|sc25=New|color25=#64A12D

|total_sc=0

|invalid=19103

|electorate=3891736

|source=[https://valgresultat.no/?type=st&year=2021 valgresultat.no]

}}

Below is the percentage of vote each party earned in each electoral district.{{cite web|url=https://valgresultat.no/?type=st&year=2021|title=Tall for hele Norge – Stortingsvalg – 2021|website=Valgresultat|language=no|date=21 September 2021|accessdate=19 October 2021}}

Below is the number of district seats for each party, with the party winning the most votes coloured in. The party earning the leveling seat{{cite news|last=Skjelvik|first=Sondre|date=14 September 2021|title=Dramatikk rundt Rødt – fire stemmer skiller dem: – Jeg er totalt målløs|url=https://www.nrk.no/nordland/hoyre-mister-mandat-i-nordland-_-rodt-inne-1.15652366|access-date=15 September 2021|agency=NRK|language=nb}} in each district is marked by (*).

File:Arbeiderpartiet Stortingsvalg 2021.svg|Labour

File:Høyre Stortingsvalg 2021.svg|Conservative

File:Senterpartiet Stortingsvalg 2021.svg|Centre

File:Fremskrittspartiet Stortingsvalg 2021.svg|Progress

File:Sosialistisk Venstreparti Stortingsvalg 2021.svg|Socialist Left

File:Rødt Stortingsvalg 2021.svg|Red

File:Venstre Stortingsvalg 2021.svg|Liberal

File:Miljøpartiet De Grønne Stortingsvalg 2021.svg|Green

File:Kristelig Folkeparti Stortingsvalg 2021.svg|Christian Democratic

File:Pasientfokus Stortingsvalg 2021.svg|Patient Focus

After the announcement of the results, Conservative Party prime minister Erna Solberg conceded defeat to opposition leader Jonas Gahr Støre. Solberg thanked her supporters and said she was proud of the government's achievements throughout eight years of centre-right rule. On her way to the podium to deliver her concession speech, Solberg told reporters that she had called Jonas Gahr Støre, the head of the Labour Party, to congratulate him on his victory. Addressing a crowd shortly after Solberg conceded, Støre said: "We have waited, we have hoped and worked so hard, and now we can finally say, we did it."{{cite web|last=Norwell|first=Frazer|date=13 September 2021|title=As it happened: 'We did it' – Norway's left-wing opposition triumphs in general election|url=https://www.thelocal.no/20210913/live-norway-set-to-announce-results-of-2021-election/|access-date=15 September 2021|website=The Local Norway}}

International news outlets commented that following the elections, all five Nordic countries, namely Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, now had left-leaning prime ministers or were to be ruled by left-wing-led governments simultaneously for the first time since 1959.{{cite news|last=Milne|first=Richard|date=13 September 2021|title=Norway's centre-left set for power as Erna Solberg concedes|work=Financial Times|url=https://www.ft.com/content/de1258cb-5dff-4130-bf49-64ce730d0d24|url-access=subscription|access-date=14 September 2021}}{{cite news|title=Norway's left-wing opposition wins general election in a landslide|url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210913-norway-s-leftwing-opposition-wins-general-election-in-a-landslide |access-date=14 September 2021|website=France 24|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=13 September 2021}}{{refn|The government in Iceland has been headed by a centre-left–centre-right coalition, which was confirmed in November 2021, and is headed by left-leaning prime minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir since 2017.{{cite news|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211128-iceland-s-ruling-coalition-agrees-on-new-government|title=Iceland's ruling coalition agrees on new government|website=France 24|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=28 November 2021|accessdate=3 December 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/icelands-left-right-coalition-agrees-take-another-term-2021-11-28/|title=Iceland's left-right coalition agrees to take another term|work=Reuters|date=28 November 2021|accessdate=3 December 2021}}|group=nb}}

The parties that seek to dissolve the unpopular and controversial Viken county, formed in 2020 by the forced merger of Akershus, Buskerud, and Østfold, won a majority, and as a result the county executive initiated the formal process to dissolve the county and divide it back into its original constituent counties.{{cite web|title=Nytt stortingsflertall – prosess for Viken|url=https://viken.no/aktuelt/nytt-stortingsflertall-prosess-for-viken.109124.aspx|publisher=Viken|language=no|accessdate=15 September 2021|archive-date=4 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004030104/https://viken.no/aktuelt/nytt-stortingsflertall-prosess-for-viken.109124.aspx|url-status=dead}}

Government pre-negotiations took place at Hurdalsjøen Hotel in Hurdal municipality after Trygve Slagsvold Vedum and the Centre Party opted for pre-negotiations with the Socialist Left Party before subsequent government negotiations. These negotiations began on 23 September and lasted until 29 September (excluding the weekend), when the Socialist Left Party, led by Audun Lysbakken, withdrew from negotiations citing their disagreement with the Labour Party and the Centre Party, in particular over issues of petroleum and welfare.{{cite news|last=Treloar|first=Stephen|date=29 September 2021|title=Norway Coalition Talks in Disarray as Socialist Left Walks Out|agency=Bloomberg News|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-29/norway-coalition-talks-in-disarray-as-socialist-left-walks-out|access-date=29 September 2021}} To the press, he reassured that the party was open for future negotiations and would be going into opposition for the time being.{{cite news|url=https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/7dmqbw/sv-bryter-sonderingene-paa-hurdal-stor-skuffelse|title= SV bryter sonderingene på Hurdal: − Stor skuffelse|work=Verdens Gang|date=29 September 2021|accessdate=29 September 2021|language=no}} At a press conference later that day, along with Vedum, Støre announced that the Labour Party and the Centre Party had started negotiations for a minority government.{{cite news|url=https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/k6QQlk/ap-og-sp-gaar-i-regjeringsforhandlinger-naa-utvider-jeg-alfabetet|title=Ap og Sp går i regjeringsforhandlinger: − Nå utvider jeg alfabetet|work=Verdens Gang|date= 29 September 2021|accessdate=29 September 2021|language=no}} On 8 October, Støre and Vedum announced that the new government's platform ({{ill|Hurdalsplattformen|no}}) would be presented on 13 October and that they were ready to form a government,{{cite news|url= https://www.nrk.no/norge/store_-_-vi-er-enige-om-a-danne-regjering-1.15683260|title=Støre: – Vi er enige om å danne regjering|agency=NRK|date= 8 October 2021|accessdate= 8 October 2021|language=no}} which was formalized for 14 October,{{cite news|last=Ummelas|first=Ott|date=8 October 2021|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-08/norway-s-labor-center-agree-to-form-pro-oil-minority-coalition|title=Norway's Labor, Center parties agree to form pro-oil minority coalition|agency=Bloomberg News|accessdate=16 October 2021}} and the Støre Cabinet was formed that day.{{cite news|last=Pettersen|first=Stig Arild|date=14 October 2021|url=https://snl.no/Regjeringen_St%C3%B8re|title=Regjeringen Støre|website=Store norske leksikon|language=no|accessdate=16 October 2021}}

As a minority coalition, the government has to rely on opposition parties to pass budget motions. For both the 2021 and 2022 budgets, the government was able to come to an agreement with the Socialist Left Party.

According to Statistisk sentralbyrå, a total of 94.98 million NOK in campaign contributions was raised by all political parties in 2021.{{Cite web |title=Valgkampbidrag |url=https://www.ssb.no/valg/stortingsvalg/statistikk/valgkampbidrag |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=SSB |language=nb}}

• 2021 Icelandic parliamentary election
• 2021 Norwegian Sámi parliamentary election

{{reflist|group=nb}}

{{reflist}}

{{Norwegian elections}}

Category:2020s elections in Norway

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