1997 Norwegian parliamentary election

1997 Norwegian parliamentary election

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. 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 Conservative Party and the right-wing Progress 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