Chamber:
	Stortinget
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	15 September 1997
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	General elections had previously been held in September 1993. In October 1996, Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland (Labour Party) resigned and was succeeded by Mr. Thorbjoern Jagland, who carried on heading a minority Government. In the 1997 poll, eight parties contested the 165 Storting seats. Campaign issues centred on health services and care for the elderly, immigration and what use to make of the country’s large petroleum revenue (as the world’s second oil exporter, after Saudi Arabia). In the ranks of the opposition, the right-wing Progress Party (FP), led by Mr Carl Hagen, advocated using some of this income to improve social benefits and proposed a more stringent immigration policy. Mr. Jagland countered by urging caution, expressing fears that new state spending would overheat the economy; he also announced that he would resign if Labour (DnA) did not match its 1993 score (36.9% of the popular vote). The Liberal (V), Centre (SP) and Christian People’s (KrF) parties came together in an opposition centre-right coalition. On polling day, DnA lost two seats but nevertheless retained its standing as largest party. The populist FP and the KrF (the latter led by Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik) both recorded impressive gains to tie for second with 25 seats. Contrariwise, the SP lost heavily, exactly reversing its fortune of four years earlier and thereby slipping from second to fifth position in Parliament. In this context, Prime Minister Jagland stepped down after his Government presented its budget on 13 October. The above-mentioned three-party coalition then proceeded to form a minority Government headed by Prime Minister Bondevik; his Cabinet was sworn in on 17 October.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (15 September 1997): Elections results
Number of registered electors	3,311,215
Voters	2,583,809 (78%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers	12,000
Valid votes	2,571,809

Round no 1: Distribution of votes
Political Group	%
Labour Party	35.1
Progress Party	15.3
Christian People's Party	13.7
Conservative Party	14.3
Centre Party	8.0
Socialist Left Party	5.9
Liberal Party	4.4
Others	3.3

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total	Gain/Loss
Labour Party	65	-2
Progress Party	25	+15
Christian People's Party	25	+12
Conservative Party	23	-5
Centre Party	11	-21
Socialist Left Party	9	-4
Liberal Party	6	+5
Others	1	=

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	105
Women:	60
Percent of women:	36.36