Norway’s Labour leader Jens Stoltenberg, triumphant after his 'red-green' opposition ousted the centre-right government in the general election, has promised to spend more of Norway's oil bonanza on welfare.
'We will use Norway's great opportunities and income on the common good - jobs for all, good schools, security and care for the elderly,' said Mr Stoltenberg.
Mr Stoltenberg, 46, and his alliance beat the tax-cutting government of Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik even though the economy is booming and UN surveys have rated Norway as the best place in the world to live every year since 2001.
A trained economist who was Norway's youngest Prime Minister from 2000-01, the Labour leader said Bondevik's tax cuts had betrayed Nordic traditions of equality.
Mr Bondevik will stay on as a caretaker until parliament opens in mid-October.
With more than 99% of votes counted, the three leftist parties won 87 of the parliament's 169 seats, against 82 for Bondevik and his allies.
