1981 Norwegian parliamentary election

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1981 Norwegian parliamentary election
Flag of Norway.svg
  1977 13 and 14 September 1981 1985  

All 155 seats in the Storting
78 seats needed for a majority
Turnout82%
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Brundtland.jpg Jo Benkow.jpg Kaare Kristiansen politiker KrF (cropped).JPG
Leader Gro Harlem Brundtland Jo Benkow Kåre Kristiansen
Party Labour Conservative Christian Democratic
Last election42.3%, 76 seats24.5%, 41 seats9.7%, 22 seats
Seats won665315
Seat changeDecrease2.svg10Increase2.svg12Decrease2.svg7
Popular vote914,749780,372219,179
Percentage37.2%31.7%8.9%

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
  Johan J. Jakobsen, fotografert under Sps landsmote i Haugesund i 2015 (cropped).jpg Berge Furre.jpg Carl i Hagen043 2E jpg DF0000062790.jpg
Leader Johan J. Jakobsen Berge Furre Carl I. Hagen
Party Centre Socialist Left Progress
Last election8.0%, 12 seats4.2%, 2 seats1.9%, 0 seats
Seats won1144
Seat changeDecrease2.svg1Increase2.svg2Increase2.svg4
Popular vote103,753121,561109,564
Percentage4.2%4.9%4.5%

 Seventh party
 
Leader Hans Hammond Rossbach
Party Liberal
Last election2.4%, 2 seats
Seats won2
Seat changeSteady2.svg
Popular vote79,064
Percentage3.2%

1981 Norweigan Parliamentary election maps.svg
Results by county

Prime Minister before election

Gro Harlem Brundtland
Labour

Prime Minister after election

Kåre Willoch
Conservative

Parliamentary elections were held in Norway on 13 and 14 September 1981. [1] The elections led to the end of the Labour Party minority government and the creation of a Conservative Party minority government. [2]

Contents

The Conservative Party made the strongest gains in the election. The Labour Party remained the largest party in the Storting, winning 66 of the 155 seats.

Attempts were made to form a majority coalition government with the Conservative Party, Christian People's Party and Centre Party, but the negotiations failed. [2] The Conservative Party subsequently formed a minority government with parliamentary support from Christian People's Party and Centre Party. [2]

In 1983 a majority coalition government with the Christian People's Party and the Centre Party was established.

Contesting parties

NameIdeologyPositionLeader1977 result
Votes (%)Seats
Ap Labour Party
Arbeiderpartiet
Social democracy Centre-left Gro Harlem Brundtland 42.2%
76 / 155
H Conservative Party
Høyre
Conservatism Centre-right Jo Benkow 24.5%
40 / 155
KrF Christian Democratic Party
Kristelig Folkeparti
Christian democracy Centre to centre-right Kåre Kristiansen 9.7%
18 / 155
Sp Centre Party
Senterpartiet
Agrarianism Centre Johan J. Jakobsen 8.0%
11 / 155
SV Socialist Left Party
Sosialistisk Venstreparti
Democratic socialism Left-wing Berge Furre 4.1%
2 / 155
V Liberal Party
Venstre
Social liberalism Centre Hans Hammond Rossbach 2.3%
1 / 155
FrP Progress Party
Fremskrittspartiet
Classical liberalism Right-wing Carl I. Hagen 1.8%
0 / 155

Leadership changes and challenges

Progress Party

Carl I. Hagen was elected chairman on 12 February 1978 after Arve Lønnum declined to seek reelection.

CandidateVotes%
Carl I. Hagen 3370.21
Jens Marcussen 1429.79
Total47100.00
Source: Moss Dagblad

Christian People's Party

After Lars Korvald declined to seek reelection, Kåre Kristiansen was elected chairman on 21 April 1979. Despite not being a candidate, Kjell Magne Bondevik received 44 votes.

CandidateVotes%
Kåre Kristiansen 19782.77
Kjell Magne Bondevik 4117.23
Total238100.00
Source: Rana Blad

Campaign

Slogans

PartyOriginal sloganEnglish translation
Labour Party Arbeid for alleLabour for everyone
Conservative Party
Centre Party
Christian Democratic Party
Liberal Party
Communist Party of Norway
Sources: [3]

Debates

1981 Norwegian general election debates
DateOrganiser P  Present   I  Invitee  N  Non-invitee 
Ap H KrF Sp Sv V Frp Dlp NKP R Refs
9 April NRK P
Gro Harlem Brundtland
P
Kåre Willoch
N
Kåre Kristiansen
N
Johan J. Jakobsen
N
Hanna Kvanmo
N
Hans Hammond Rossbach
N
Carl I. Hagen
N
Gerd Søraa
N
Martin Gunnar Knutsen
N
Sigurd Allern
[4]
11 September NRK P
Einar FørdeGro Harlem Brundtland
P
Kåre Willoch
P
Kåre Kristiansen
P
Johan J. Jakobsen
P
Hanna Kvanmo
P
Hans Hammond Rossbach
P
Carl I. Hagen
P
Gerd Søraa
P
Martin Gunnar Knutsen
P
Sigurd Allern
[5]

Results

1981 Norwegian Storting.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Labour Party 914,74937.2066–10
Conservative Party 780,37231.7453+12
Christian Democratic Party 219,1798.9115–7
Socialist Left Party 121,5614.944+2
Progress Party 109,5644.464+4
Centre Party 103,7534.226–1
Non-socialist joint lists [a] 88,9693.625
Liberal Party 79,0643.2220
Red Electoral Alliance 17,8440.7300
Liberal People's Party 13,3440.5400
Communist Party 6,6730.2700
Plebiscite Party1,1450.050New
Tom A. Schanke's Party8260.030New
Freely Elected Representatives8010.0300
Lapp People's List5940.0200
Broad-Based Non-Partisan List3830.020New
Total2,458,821100.001550
Valid votes2,458,82199.86
Invalid/blank votes3,3870.14
Total votes2,462,208100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,003,09381.99
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Voter demographics

CohortPercentage of cohort voting for
Ap H KrF Sv FrP Sp V Others
Total vote37.2%31.7%8.9%4.9%4.5%4.2%3.2%
Gender
Females35.6%30.3%12.8%4.5%3.7%4.3%3.3%
Males38.4%33.1%5.5%5.5%5.3%4.2%3.1%
Age
18–30 years old26.2%33.8%5.2%8.8%10.1%4.6%4.3%
30-59 years old39.2%32.3%8%4.8%3.5%3.8%3.6%
60 years old and older43.5%28.9%14.9%1.5%1.2%4.9%1.2%
Work
low income43.5%25.9%11.8%4.4%7.1%5.6%2.4%
Average income43.9%27.2%8.1%5.8%3.6%4%3.6%
High income23.3%50.3%6.5%4.5%3.8%2.4%3.4%
Education
Primary school55.2%18.7%9.6%3.1%4.4%3.6%1%
High school36%33%8.9%4.7%5.1%5%3%
University/college12.9%47.7%7.9%9.1%3.3%2.9%7.5%
Source: Norwegian Institute for Social Research [7]

Seat distribution

ConstituencyTotal
seats
Seats won
Ap H KrF Sp SV Frp V
Akershus 10451
Aust-Agder 4211
Buskerud 7421
Finnmark431
Hedmark 8521
Hordaland 154521111
Møre og Romsdal 1033211
Nord-Trøndelag 6312
Nordland 1254111
Oppland 7421
Oslo 1557111
Østfold 8431
Rogaland 1033211
Sogn og Fjordane 52111
Sør-Trøndelag 1043111
Telemark 6321
Troms6321
Vest-Agder 5221
Vestfold 734
Total15566531511442
Source: Norges Offisielle Statistikk

Notes

  1. Five seats were won by joint lists, all of which were taken by the Centre Party. [6]

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References

  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1438 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. 1 2 3 Valen, Henry (1982). "Norway: The 1981 election confirms trend to the right". Electoral Studies. 1 (2): 243–250. doi:10.1016/0261-3794(82)90006-3. ISSN   0261-3794.
  3. "Historiske slagord og plakater". Arbeiderpartiet (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  4. "Tema: Hvilken politikk er best egnet til å møte 80-årenes utfordringer?". 9 April 1981.
  5. "Partilederdebatt, Partilederne i valgkampinnspurten foran Stortingsvalget 1981". 11 September 1981.
  6. Nohlen & Stöver, p1460
  7. "Kristelig Folkeparti - Valgforskning" . Retrieved 16 February 2024.