No national elections stir as much interest outside a country’s borders as do those in the US, and political activists from both the right and left planned to gather around Norway to catch the results of this year’s fight for the White House. In Oslo and Bergen, for example, the US election was, as usual, sparking special events.
Hundreds of registered participants were expected to turn out for “US Election Night 2012” at the Grand Hotel in Oslo Tuesday evening. The event was organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Norway (AmCham Norway) in cooperation with groups representing Republicans and Democrats Abroad and was expected to attract staff from the US Embassy, Norwegian politicians and political analysts, students and media.
The all-night event was to be followed by a breakfast meeting on Wednesday featuring US Ambassador Barry White, who was appointed by US President Barack Obama after being active in Obama’s 2008 campaign, and the head of Norway’s Conservative Party, Erna Solberg.
In Bergen, on Norway’s west coast, the Bergen Student Society (Studentersamfunnet i Bergen) was also organizing an “Election Night Vigil” (external link) on Tuesday starting at 6pm and lasting through the night as election returns come in. The event was taking place at Det Akademiske Kvarter, billed as the biggest culture house in Bergen, and would also feature American-style food, quizzes and lectures on US issues. Non-students were welcome as well.
newsinenglish.no staff
