The coalition was established in 2005 to constitute an alternative to the centre-right government of
Kjell Magne Bondevik, and won the
2005 Norwegian parliamentary election with a slight
majority. The Labour-led
centre-left government formed was the first majority government in Norway since 1985. It replaced the Bondevik government on 17 October 2005. However, different views between the three parties taking part in the coalition on several important issues led to tough negotiations at Soria Moria in Oslo to put their differences aside in order to reach a common platform. The victory was a historical landmark for a number of reasons. The Labour Party had never been a member of a
coalition government, except for a short interim at the end of
World War II. The Socialist Left Party had never participated in any government, and historically had been unwilling to co-operate with Labour. In addition, the Centre Party is co-operating with the centre-left of Norwegian politics for the first time, having previously formed governments with both the
Conservatives and the
Christian Democratic Party on several occasions. A good relationship between the leader of Labour Party,
Jens Stoltenberg, and of the Socialist Left,
Kristin Halvorsen, has been considered a major factor in forming the alliance. Halvorsen was considered more
pragmatic and moderate than some of her old-guard party colleagues; the
Socialist People's Party, one of SV's predecessors, was established in the early 1960s as an ideological opponent to Labour's foreign policy, and it was the main opponent to
NATO membership. After the
September 2005 election, some old members criticised Halvorsen for being too benign towards Labour. The
2009 parliamentary elections resulted in a renewed majority for the Red-Green coalition, with 86 seats out of 169. The Socialist Left Party lost four seats in parliament, while the Labour Party gained three. The successful re-election of a sitting government is a rare event in Norway, and had not happened since 1993. ==Coalition cabinet (2013)==