Norway's left clinches vote win as populist right surges into second place

Norway's Labour Party led by Jonas Gahr Støre wins a second term in the general elections, defeating the populist right-wing party that doubled its vote share. With a turnout of 78.9%, Labour secured 53 seats in the 169-seat Storting, potentially forming a narrow majority by garnering support from smaller parties on the centre left. The election campaign, initially emphasizing foreign policy, shifted focus to issues like rising living costs, the oil industry, and reforming the wealth tax, with Norway's global significance as a NATO member and EU market participant also playing a role in the electoral dynamics.