Norway raises its emergency preparedness around its offshore oil and gas facilities in the North Sea, in response to the leaks in Nord Stream 1 and 2, though to be Russian sabotage.

Labour wins at least 88 seats. The Conservative Party wins 68. With the Socialist Left and the Center Party, the coalition will have 100 seats in the 169-seat Storting.

Two-day election begins. The Labor party, led by Jonas Gahr Stoere, which has pledged to cut emissions but not immediately severely reduce them, is leading in the polls.

Coming election may have important consequences for energy policy. Norway heavily depends on fossil fuel exports for income. But while the Labour is leading in polls with 23%, it would have to form a coalition to govern. And two of its most natural possible partners, the leftwing Socialist Left Party (10 percent) or potentially the center-left Greens (5 percent), want to halt new exploration licenses.

Government orders new restrictions on social contact and bars due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Soiberg names new cabinet and will continue to rule as a minority government.

Progress Party pulls out of governing coalition, leaving it without a majority. The party disagreed with the government’s decision to repatriate a woman who is said to have engaged in terrorist activities while in Syria. She denies the charges and asked to return with her two children so that her five-year-old son could receive medical treatment. Conservative Party PM Erna Solberg says that she will remain as PM in a minority government. The constitution does not allow for early elections; the next scheduled election is 9/21.

Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg reaches agreement with Christian Democratic Party to form a government by agreeing to amend Norway’s abortion law to make it stricter.

In letters sent in June, Trump demands that Germany, Canada, Belgium, and Norway and perhaps other NATO members increase their contributions to NATO, saying that the US will reconsider its troop deployment if there is no change.

Norway asks US to double the number of troops in the country to counteract Russian buildup. The 330 Marines are scheduled to leave Norway at the end of year.