Norway's election a close contest over national values

STOCKHOLM – Norway's national election is a tight contest over national values, including how welcoming the wealthy country should be to migrants and asylum-seekers and how close it should be to the European Union.

Opinion polls before Monday's balloting showed no party anywhere close to getting enough votes to gain a simple majority in the 169-seat parliament, setting up postelection coalition negotiations.

The country is now ruled by Prime Minister Erna Solberg's Conservatives in coalition with the populist Progress Party, propped up by votes from the Christian Democrats and the Liberals. The main opposition comes from Labor, the biggest party in Parliament, but it needs support from at least two smaller parties to get a majority.

Both the Conservatives and Labor have lost support in recent months.