The Social Democratic Labour Party (AP) won the election a week ago, but did not get its own majority.
Now, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (AP) is holding talks with other party leaders about who can be expected to support a new social democratic minority government. The division is similar to that in Sweden, with primarily a Green party (MDG) and a Left party (Rødt) that need to be convinced.
Norway's closest equivalent to the Sweden Democrats, the populist Progress Party (FRP), became the largest on the right side in the election. Their leader Sylvi Listhaug is thus seen as the government side's most important opponent.
When MDG's leader Arild Hermstad arrived at the prime minister's residence on Monday to negotiate with Støre, he brought out a gift from the well-known illustrator Egil Nyhus in front of the media. It was a framed satirical drawing where Støre and Hermstad together, with a gigantic carrot as a lance, knock over Listhaug.
It's to remind us that we won this election together, he said according to the news agency NTB.
This is also about us having to stand up against more FRP policy. We cannot have a climate policy that goes backwards, as she wishes. Not just "drill, baby, drill", added Hermstad, referring to US President Donald Trump's slogan for more extraction of fossil fuels.
However, he did not want to comment on whether MDG can agree to Norway, an oil nation, continuing to search for new fossil discoveries.
Now we're not going to have any government negotiations here, was the answer.
