Norway: Opinion poll by Respons Analyse on 12/08/2025

The Norwegian Parliament, known as the Storting, consists of 169 members elected every four years. The electoral system is based on proportional representation held across 19 voting districts (corresponding to the traditional counties). Out of the 169 seats, 150 are district mandates allocated directly based on local results. The remaining 19 are leveling seats (utjevningsmandater)—one for each district—designed to ensure national proportionality between a party's total vote share and its number of seats. A unique constitutional feature in Norway is that the Storting cannot be dissolved; snap elections are not permitted.

There is no fixed percentage threshold to win district mandates in Norway; these are determined by a party's performance within each specific county. However, to qualify for the 19 national leveling seats, a party must clear a nationwide electoral threshold of 4%. This threshold is a critical factor in Norwegian politics, as crossing or falling below the 4% mark often determines which political bloc (Center-Left or Center-Right) secures a governing majority in the Storting.

Norway operates under "negative parliamentarism," meaning a government does not need to win a formal vote of confidence to take office. It simply needs to ensure that a majority in the Storting does not actively vote against it. This principle often leads to the formation of minority governments, which are very common in Norway. Such administrations rely on formal cooperation agreements with support parties to pass budgets and key legislation, fostering a political culture rooted in consensus and cross-party negotiation.

This overview shows all parties that, based on current polling, have a realistic chance of entering parliament in Norway or significantly shape the political debate. Classifying their political orientation is essential for understanding bloc formation and the mathematically possible majorities in the next parliament.