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Norway: Political Developments and Data in 2021

Victory for the Centre-Left

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Johannes Bergh*
Affiliation:
Institute for Social Research, Oslo, Norway
Rune Karlsen
Affiliation:
Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Abstract

The main political event in Norway in 2021 was the Storting (parliamentary) election in September. After eight years of rule by a Conservative Party/Høyre Prime Minister, the 2021 election was a decisive win for the centre-left. However, it was a win by a fragmented group of five parties, only two of which ended up forming the new government. Despite the new large centre-left majority in Parliament, the new government, like the previous one, is a minority government. The Covid-19 pandemic dominated Norwegian life through much of 2021, with two large-scale lockdowns early in the year and in December. While the last (December) lockdown was a bit controversial, the government's handling of the pandemic was largely depoliticized. The main issues for voters in the election were environmental issues (including climate change). The pandemic did not register as an important issue among voters.

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Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © 2022 European Consortium for Political Research

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