New government to be presented in Norway

17/10/2005 - 08:33:15
Prime Minister-designate Jens Stoltenberg’s new centre-left coalition government will take office in Norway today, replacing the government of former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, which resigned on Friday.

The left-leaning, three-party coalition led by Stoltenberg’s Labour Party won a majority in the oil rich country’s Parliament in last month’s election.

Stoltenberg will announce the new Cabinet to the king before presenting it to Parliament.

The so-called Red-Green bloc won the election on campaign promises of more welfare spending.

The new government is taking over during an economic boom, due largely to Norway’s position as the world’s third largest oil exporter.