The incumbent Labour Party-led leftist bloc retains power, but anti-immigration party also registers record surge in support.
Norway’s Labour Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has claimed victory in Monday’s legislative elections, which also saw a record surge in support for the anti-immigration populist Progress Party.
“We did it,” the 65-year-old leader Stoere exclaimed at an election night rally after Labour came out on top, with about 28 percent of votes, which enabled him to remain in power with the support of four other left-wing parties.
Rapturous cheering erupted in Oslo on Monday night as Labour supporters gathered to celebrate a closely fought campaign in which the future of a wealth tax that dates to the late 19th century has been a central issue.
Addressing the crowd, Stoere thanked his supporters and said the victory showed that it was possible for Social Democratic parties to win elections, even with right-wing forces on the rise in Europe, according to the broadcaster VG.
