NORWAY: Norwegian Labour leader Jens Stoltenberg, triumphant after his "Red-Green" alliance ousted the centre-right government in an election, promised yesterday to spend more of the nation's oil bonanza on welfare.
"We will use Norway's great opportunities and income on the common good - jobs for all, good schools, security and care for the elderly," Mr Stoltenberg (46) said after Monday's win.
Mr Stoltenberg and his alliance beat the tax-cutting government of prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, even though the economy is booming and UN surveys have rated Norway as the best place in the world to live every year since 2001.
Mr Stoltenberg shared a victory cake in parliament with leaders of his allies, the Socialist Left and Centre parties, and predicted a slog to work out joint policies. His partners have promised far higher spending of oil cash than Labour.
The Red-Green alliance had 87 seats in the 169-seat parliament, with 82 for Mr Bondevik's coalition of his Christian People's Party, Conservatives and Liberals and an informal ally, the populist Progress Party. - (Reuters)