Survival of a Majority Coalition: The Norwegian Parliamentary Election of 14 September 2009

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Johannes Bergh, Rune Karlsen, Hanne Marthe Narud and Jo Saglie for useful comments on a draft of this article; however, the usual disclaimer applies.

Notes

1. For other recent reports in this series, see Luther (2009), Wilson (2009), Dinas (2010) and Lisi (2010).

2. With the exception of its participation in the coalition of all major parties established in 1940 and in 1945.

3. Norway uses a fixed-term electoral cycle; the Parliament cannot be dissolved.

4. For an account and analysis of this coalition formation, see Allern and Aylott (2009).

5. Indeed, the party sent a letter to all the ministries asking for help to find out what policies could be changed within 100 days without the Parliament's approval, see http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/1.6131778

6. The budget procedure today starts with agreement on the overall level of public expenditure for the coming year, after which the allocation of that sum over different policy areas is worked out. Before, the steps had been the reverse, and the ‘budget’ had been the sum of its sectoral parts.

7. Two weeks before the election, the Progress Party presented its own plan for what to do during the first 100 days of government.

8. In 2005, the total number of seats in the Storting was expanded from 165 to 169, with ‘adjustment seats’ increasing from 8 to 19.

9. There is also a new position as Minister Chief of Staff at the Office of the Prime Minister (controlled by Labour). See http://www.regjeringen.no/en/the-government/stoltenberg-ii/members-of-the-government-2.html?id=543170:a