Norwegian parliamentary election, 1997

Norwegian Parliamentary election, 1997

15 September 1997
All 165 seats to the Norwegian Parliament 83 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Thorbjørn Jagland Carl I. Hagen Valgerd Svarstad Haugland Party Labour Progress Christian Democratic Last election 67 seats, 36.9% 10 seats, 6.3% 13 seats, 7.9% Seats won 65 25 25 Seat change 2 15 12 Popular vote 904,362 395,376 353,082 Percentage 35.0% 15.3% 13.7%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Jan Petersen Anne Enger Lahnstein Erik Solheim Party Conservative Centre Socialist Left Last election 28 seats, 17.0% 32 seats, 16.7% 13 seats, 7.9% Seats won 23 11 9 Seat change 5 21 4 Popular vote 370,441 204,824 155,307 Percentage 14.3% 7.9% 6.0%   Seventh party   Leader Lars Sponheim Party Liberal Last election 1 seat, 3.6% Seats won 6 Seat change 5 Popular vote 115,077 Percentage 4.5%
Prime Minister before election Thorbjørn Jagland Labour Elected Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik Christian Democratic

Parliamentary elections were held in Norway on 14 and 15 September 1997.^[1] Prior to the election Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland of the Labour Party had issued the 36.9 ultimatum declaring that the government would step down unless it gained 36.9% of the vote, the percentage gained by the Labour Party in 1993 under Gro Harlem Brundtland. Whilst Labour won a plurality of seats, they were unable to reach Jagland's 36.9% threshold, gaining 35% of the vote.

As a result of this, the Labour government stepped down, being replaced by a centrist coalition of the Christian People's Party, Liberal Party and the Centre Party, with Kjell Magne Bondevik being appointed Prime Minister, and confidence and supply support from the right-wing Progress and Conservative Party.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Labour Party	904,362	35.0	65	–2
Progress Party	395,376	15.3	25	+15
Conservative Party	370,441	14.3	23	–5
Christian People's Party	353,082	13.7	25	+12
Centre Party	204,824	7.9	11	–21
Socialist Left Party	155,307	6.0	9	–4
Liberal Party	115,077	4.5	6	+5
Red Electoral Alliance	43,252	1.7	0	–1
Pensioners' Party	16,031	0.6	0	0
Non-Partisan Deputies	9,195	0.4	1	+1
Environment Party The Greens	5,884	0.2	0	0
Fatherland Party	3,805	0.2	0	0
Natural Law Party	2,207	0.1	0	0
Communist Party	1,979	0.1	0	0
Christian Conservative Party	1,386	0.1	0	0
New Future Coalition Party	491	0.0	0	0
White Electoral Alliance	463	0.0	0	New
Justice Party	281	0.0	0	New
Liberal People's Party	258	0.0	0	0
Children-Elderly	246	0.0	0	New
Society Party	214	0.0	0	0
Invalid/blank votes	9,508	–	–	–
Total	2,593,669	100	165	0
Registered voters/turnout	3,311,190	78.3	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, European Elections Database

References