Norway's political storm warnings prove unfounded

The country's election result should quell nerves in the oil and gas sector

Victory for the incumbent right-wing Conservative Party and its allies in Norway's general election provided a degree of relief for the oil industry. Nevertheless, parties keen to restrict the sector's growth could still prove influential during the next four-year term. The Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Erna Solberg, are regarded as the most pro-oil party of the major players in Norwegian politics. They won 45 seats on 11 September, doing better in the polls than some had forecast—the result gives their centre-right coalition a narrow majority, accounting for 89 seats out of a total of 169 seats. Meanwhile, the main opposition centre-left Labour Party lost ground, both to smaller soci