Norwegian parliamentary election, 1997

Norwegian Parliamentary election, 1997

1993 ← members 15 September 1997 → 2001

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 Jan Petersen Party Labour Party Progress Party Conservative Party Leader since 1992 1978 1994 Last election 67 seats (36.9%) 10 seats (6.3%) 28 seats (17.0%) Seats won 65 25 23 Seat change -2 +15 -5 Popular vote 904,362 395,376 370,441 Percentage 35.0% 15.3% 14.3%

Prime Minister before election Thorbjørn Jagland Jagland's Cabinet Prime Minister-designate Kjell Magne Bondevik Bondevik's First Cabinet

Distribution of mandates after the 1997 Norwegian parliamentary election:

  Socialist Left Party

  Labour Party

  Centre Party

  Christian Democratic Party

  Liberal Party

  Conservative Party

  Non-Partisan Deputies

  Progress Party

Parliamentary elections were held in Norway on 14 and 15 September 1997. 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.

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