OSLO (Reuters) -Norway’s leftwing Labour Party and the rural Centre Party said on Friday they have agreed to form a minority government, the culmination of almost four weeks of negotiations following last month’s election win.
The deal paves the way for Labour leader Jonas Gahr Stoere https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/winner-norways-election-is-wealthy-champion-common-people-2021-09-13 to become prime minister next week, replacing Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg who said after losing the election that she plans to step down.
The new government will present a detailed policy document on Oct. 13, Stoere and Centre Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum told a news conference.
Left-leaning opposition parties won a large majority https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-opposition-expected-win-election-fought-oil-inequality-2021-09-13 in the Sept. 13 election, but talks to form a majority government collapsed https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norways-socialists-pull-out-talks-form-majority-government-2021-09-29 amid disagreements over climate change and taxes, leading to the formation of a minority cabinet.
Labour’s Stoere, who had argued that a majority government would provide the greatest degree of predictability for the country, must now negotiate policy proposals and spending plans on a case-by-case basis in parliament.
Minority governments are common in Norway, however, and incumbent Prime Minister Erna Solberg of the Conservatives has ruled in a minority for most of her eight years in power.
(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche and Terje Solsvik)
