In the series ‘Election in Context’, in West European Politics, Johannes Bergh and Bernt Aardal have written an analysis of the 2025 parliamentary election.
Bergh, J., & Aardal, B. (2026). The 2025 Norwegian election. West European Politics, 49(5), 1370–1382. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2026.2646662
Abstract: In the parliamentary election of September 2025 the Labour government was re-elected against the odds. Only 9 months earlier, in December 2024, polls had indicated that the coalition of Labour and the Centre Party was heading towards defeat, and that Erna Solberg would return as Premier. Shortly after the 2021 election the centre-left coalition started to lose support, not least due to record high electricity bills, steep inflation and increasing interest rates. The war between Russia and Ukraine added to the anxiety of many voters. However, when the Centre Party left the government in January 2025, a reshuffling of the government brought new optimism to centre-left parties. Jens Stoltenberg, the former general secretary of NATO, was a particularly popular choice as finance minister, and contributed to increased popularity for Labour. Adding to this, several economic indicators showed a positive trend, leading to a win for the centre-left parties.
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