- Norway’s next parliamentary election is scheduled for September 8, 2025, when all 169 Storting seats will be contested; a majority requires 85 seats Wikipedia.
- Recent polling averages show a steady lead for the Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet), while the Progress Party (FrP) trails closely in second. The Conservative Party lags in third POLITICO+2newsinenglish.no+2POLITICO+2.
- Specific estimates (per last month’s PolitPro data):
- Labour ~27.8%
- Progress ~21.6%
- Conservatives ~15.1%
- Socialist Left ~8.1%, Centre ~6.2%, Red Party ~5.9% PolitPro – Politik, News & Wahltrends+4PolitPro – Politik, News & Wahltrends+4POLITICO+4
- A June polling survey by Opinion recorded:
- Labour 26.8%, Progress 22.8%, Conservative 14.2%, Red 7.3%, Socialist Left 7.0% business-standard.com+9PolitPro – Politik, News & Wahltrends+9newsinenglish.no+9
- Labour’s support surged in early 2025 after Jens Stoltenberg’s surprise appointment as finance minister in February, boosting the party by about 10 percentage points in polls Reuters+1newsinenglish.no+1.
- Based on current polling trends, coalition scenarios likely include combinations with Labour, Socialist Left, Centre, Red, and/or Liberals or Conservatives, all of which hover around or above the 53–55% share range for potential majority formation PolitPro – Politik, News & Wahltrends.
Major World News Headlines
Global Economy & Trade
- U.S. President Trump issued sweeping new tariffs on imports from up to 92 countries, with duties ranging from 10% to 41%, affecting major economies including Canada (35%), India (25%), Taiwan (20%), and Switzerland (39%). Markets reacted sharply, with indices across Europe and Asia sliding significantly Reuters+2The Guardian+2Reuters+2.
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) bumped up its global growth forecast to 3.0% in 2025, citing strong pre-transitional purchasing, but warned that tariff tensions, fiscal pressures, and geopolitical instability still present substantial headwinds Reuters.
Conflict & Diplomacy
- Humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate, with widespread famine and mounting internal pressure amid protests around the world calling for Palestinian rights and statehood recognition WikipediaThe GuardianReuters.
- Growing international momentum is mounting behind formal recognition of a Palestinian state, spurred by a recent ICJ advisory ruling that deemed Israeli occupation illegal and apartheid-like—countries including Ireland, Norway, Spain, Canada, and others are actively considering recognition by September 2025 The Guardian.
- The 2025 NATO Summit held in The Hague (June 24–25) focused on member defense spending targets and included diplomatic dialogues among President Trump, Ukraine’s President
Global Highlights
A Russian missile strike on Kyiv has killed at least 28 people, including children, with an international uproar continuing over the use of civilian-targeting missiles amidst conflicts elsewhere in Ukraine. Reuters.
In Myanmar, unprecedented flooding and conflict have led to an intensifying humanitarian crisis, as reported by the UN and analyzed in globalissues.org.
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Next week, there will be a big conference from the UN in Turkmenistan, where there is a focus on the unique obstacles related to being a land-locked developing country cut off from trade routes to the ocean, globalissues.org..
Markets & Crypto
Amazon shares plunged ~7% after a subpar earnings forecast, weighing heavy on markets with fears of possible tariffs, Reuters.
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Bitcoin fell under $116,000 today, causing alarm in crypto circles as traders redefine risk, m.economictimes.com.
USDT transfer volumes jumped to $5.29 billion over major blockchain technologies including Tron, BNB Chain, and Ethereum, as trends for stablecoin utilization evolve, ainvest.com.
Summary
In Norway, Labor is still holding a polling lead with Progress and Conservatives competing for distance behind with government formation scenarios unclear.
In regard to the world in general, U.S. tariffs continue to soar disrupting trade and ownership in markets, and despite conciliatory economic forecasts, the outlook remains cautious. Furthermore, humanitarian and geopolitical pressures remain high and especially in relation to Gaza and Myanmar and international institutions are responding to long-standing systemic dilemmas.
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