Norwegians voted on the first of two election days for parliament in a contested race between the center-left bloc, led by the ruling Workers' Party (WP), and the center-right bloc, dominated by the populist Progressive Party and the center-right Conservative Party, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
At least nine political parties are expected to win seats in parliament, and three leaders of the major parties are actually competing for the post of prime minister. The high cost of living, tax policy and the quality of public services are among the main issues in the election campaign.
The outcome of the election could have an impact not only on the management of the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, which is worth nearly $2 trillion, but also on energy supplies to Europe.
Geopolitical issues also play an important role for voters. Analysts believe this could benefit the ruling Labour Party and its leader, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who is also Norway's former foreign minister.
According to a summary of the latest opinion polls, the Labour Party and four smaller centre-left parties are expected to win a total of 88 seats in parliament, three more than needed to form a majority, but 12 fewer than in 2021.
The Progress Party, the centre-right Conservative Party and two other smaller parties are likely to win the remaining 81 seats. However, the difference between the two blocs depends on statistical error, making the final result difficult to predict.