It was a close call though, and at the end of the day the red and green coalition consisting of the Labour Party, the Socialist Left and the Center Left had a 52% majority. This will be the first time in almost 20 years Norway has a majority rule in government.

With this constellation in power there will certainly be openings for putting good and responsible policies into place. Light years better than the alternative anyway, those right wing brainiacs who believe sound and visionary policies can be made by letting money talk and everything else walk.

It is especially reassuring that the Norwegian people decided to change their government during times of apparent prosperity. Norway is making money like never before, we got loads of cash in the bank, the interest rate is at an all time low, and Bush on the international scene includes Norway in the coalition of the willing. What do you have to sell to get cash like that?

So we had an unnerving and then a nice time at the Socialist Left party's election watch in Tromsø last night. We were invited to be there by Carine, a very nice girl from the Socialist Youth, who was onboard Esperanza together with other politicians for the protest on the Goliath oil field outside Hammerfest two weeks ago.

Yesterday was a pivotal day. We did the right thing by going left. But Greenpeace is still needed. This coalition is way better than the government they replace, but there are still issues on which we collide. Letting joy prevail for now, giving them the benefit of the doubt, but we go down just as hard on our friends, as on any other, when they do wrong.

Be good or be gone is still the name of the game :)

- Christian