Oslo parties agree revised budget deal with more for elder care and lifeguards at two beaches

The four non-socialist parties in Oslo have reached agreement on the city’s revised 2026 budget, adding 117 million kroner and directing more money toward elder care.

Høyre, Venstre, the Progress Party (Frp) and the Christian Democrats (KrF) say the deal also sets aside money for lifeguards at two of the capital’s beaches. The agreement was reported by Aftenposten on Monday and marks the latest step in a budget process that has been politically fragile for months.

The pact matters because Oslo’s city government depends on support from Frp and KrF to secure a majority. It also closes out a period in which budget talks had previously run into trouble, with Frp at one point not ruling out a break in negotiations.

What the deal changes

The clearest immediate winner in the agreement is elder care. The parties have agreed to increase funding for the sector as part of the 117 million kroner package.

The deal also includes financing for lifeguards at two beaches in Oslo. The research packet does not identify which beaches will be covered, but the measure is one of the most visible spending items in the agreement.

Several other items are not being implemented immediately. Instead, the parties want them examined further before any final decision is taken.

That includes a proposal to let businesses receive resident parking permits in all zones where resident parking applies. It also includes more motorcycle parking spaces.

The parties are also asking for an assessment of a stop in Bjørvika for the ferries serving Oslo’s islands. Another point in the agreement is to restart the trial of night-time metro service once the new signalling and safety system is finished.

From proposal to political deal

The agreement follows the city government’s revised budget proposal, which was presented in late May and included a new Markafond. That earlier proposal set the stage for the negotiations that have now produced a four-party deal.

Earlier reporting showed that the talks among the bourgeois parties were not straightforward. In December 2025, Aftenposten reported that Frp would not rule out a break in the negotiations, underlining how unstable the process had been before this agreement was reached.

Against that background, the new package is politically significant even beyond the headline figures. It suggests that the four parties have found a formula for distributing some of Oslo’s extra budget room to services and selected transport-related measures.

The agreement also fits a broader pattern in which much of the extra money appears to be tied up in one-off allocations rather than a sweeping long-term shift in spending priorities. That is important for understanding both the room the city has now and the choices that remain open later.

What still needs to be clarified

Even with the deal in place, some details remain open. The research packet does not yet say exactly which beaches will receive lifeguards, or how the 117 million kroner will be divided line by line.

The rest of the package also still needs further work in the municipality. The resident parking idea for businesses, the expanded motorcycle parking, the Bjørvika ferry stop and the night metro trial are all framed as items to be studied or revisited rather than immediate changes.

The next formal step is the city council’s treatment of the revised budget agreement. That process will determine how the political deal is translated into binding municipal decisions.

For Oslo, the practical importance is clear: the city government now has a fresh budget agreement that secures support from the parties it needs, while leaving several detailed questions to be settled later.