PM Modi Congratulates Norway’s PM Støre on Re-Election

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on his re-election. In a social media post, Prime Minister Modi said that he looks forward to working together with Mr. Støre to further strengthen the India–Norway partnership in all areas.

• Norway’s Labour Party Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre won another term in the parliamentary elections. In a closely contested election, the anti-immigration Progress Party also delivered a record-breaking performance.
• At an election rally in Oslo, 65-year-old Støre celebrated the Labour Party’s victory with nearly 28 percent of the vote, enabling him to remain in power with the support of four other left-wing parties.
• This victory shows that despite the rise of right-wing forces, it is still possible for social democratic parties to win elections.
• The right-wing Progress Party achieved its best-ever result in the national election and came second. Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg apologized for her party’s poor performance, which pushed the party to third place in parliament.
• About 4.3 million eligible voters in Norway elected members for the 169-seat Storting. The centre-left parties won just over 85 seats, which was enough for a majority.
• Støre’s second term came after a tough election that also involved internal party disputes, cabinet scandals and attempts at leadership change. His Labour Party faced challenges such as rising inflation, increasing interest rates, and the resignation of several ministers due to tax evasion, ethics violations and undisclosed share trading.

Norway: A Nordic Nation on the Scandinavian Peninsula

• A Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the Svalbard archipelago are also part of the Kingdom of Norway. Its capital and largest city is Oslo.
• The total area of the country is 385,207 square kilometers (148,729 square miles). The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden.
• The number of Scandinavian countries is three: Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
• The “Nordic countries” are Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as New PM

• French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed his Defense Minister and close ally Sébastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister. After losing a vote of confidence, Prime Minister François Bayrou resigned.
• At 39, Lecornu became the fifth Prime Minister in less than two years and faces several major challenges, including resolving a deepening political crisis amid growing protests in the coming days.
• Macron’s decision to choose Lecornu signals that he wants to move forward with a minority government that supports his pro-business economic reform agenda.
• In the 577-member National Assembly, the left-wing bloc, which has opposed Macron’s pro-business policies, holds most of the seats but not enough to form a government.
• The immediate cause of Bayrou’s downfall was his budget proposal for the next year. His unpopular €44 billion ($51 billion) deficit-cutting plan, which included halting most welfare spending and canceling two public holidays, was widely rejected by lawmakers.
• France’s budget deficit now stands at about €169 billion ($198 billion) or 5.8 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), well above the 3 percent limit set by the European Union for countries using the euro. Investors fear that France’s persistent deficit will further increase the debt ratio and weaken its credit rating.