List of heads of government of Norway

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This is a list of heads of government of Norway. In the modern era, the head of government has the title prime minister (statsminister). At various times in the past, the highest governmental title has included steward (rigsstatholder), viceroy (vicekonge), and first minister (førstestatsraad)

Until 1873, the king of the personal union between Sweden and Norway governed Norway through two cabinets: one in Stockholm and another in Christiania (now Oslo). The newly created Stockholm cabinet consisted of a prime minister and two ministers, whose role was to convey the attitudes of the Christiania cabinet to the Swedish king.

The cabinet in Christiania was led by a steward (rigsstatholder). For brief periods, the incumbent crown prince was appointed Viceroy of Norway by the king, in which case the viceroy became the highest authority in Christiania.

Whenever the king was present in Christiania, however, he assumed the highest authority, thus putting the governor or viceroy temporarily out of charge. Likewise, when there was no governor, viceroy or king present in Christiania (which was not unusual), the cabinet was led by the first minister, who was the most prominent member of the cabinet.

In July 1873, the position of governor was abolished after being vacant since 1856. Simultaneously, the post of first minister in Christiania was upgraded to Prime Minister of Norway. Although the office of Norwegian Prime Minister in Stockholm still existed, the real power and influence over state affairs was moved to the prime minister in Christiania, while Prime Minister in Stockholm became the second highest cabinet position, responsible for conveying the government's views to the King.

When the union was dissolved in 1905, the position of prime minister in Stockholm was abolished.

Stewards of Norway

The Steward of Norway, styled Rigsstatholder in Danish (riksstattholder in modern Norwegian spelling), meaning Lieutenant of the realm (see Steward (office)), was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the Monarch during the Dano-Norwegian personal union. As Norway was a separate kingdom, with its own laws and institutions, the position of steward of Norway was arguably the most influential position for a Danish-Norwegian nobleman or royal to hold, second to the King.

Stewards of Norway (1536–1814)

Stewards, Viceroys, and First Ministers (1814–1873)

Stewards of Norway (1814–1856)

  1. Count Hans Henrik von Essen (1814–1816)
  2. Count Carl Carlsson Mörner (1816–1818)
  3. Count Johan August Sandels (1818–1827)
  4. Count Baltzar von Platen (1827–1829)
  5. Count Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg (1836–1840)
  6. Severin Løvenskiold (1841–1856)

Viceroys of Norway (periodically 1814–1857)

  1. Crown Prince Carl Johan (9–17 November 1814)
  2. Crown Prince Carl Johan (10 June – 16 July 1816)
  3. Crown Prince Oscar (11 April – 1 November 1824)
  4. Crown Prince Oscar (17 June – 3 December 1833)
  5. Crown Prince Carl (17 June 1856 – 22 June 1857)

First Ministers of Norway (1814–1873)

  1. Frederik Gottschalck von Haxthausen (1814)
  2. Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz (1814–1815)
  3. Mathias Sommerhielm (1815–1822)
  4. Jonas Collett (1822–1836)
  5. Nicolai Johan Lohmann Krog (1836–1855)
  6. Jørgen Herman Vogt (1855–1858)
  7. Hans Christian Petersen (1858–1861)
  8. Frederik Stang (1861–1873); continued as Prime Minister until 1880

In 1873, the position of First Minister was upgraded to Prime Minister.

Prime Ministers of Norway (1814–1905)

Prime Ministers (1814–1873)

Prior to 1884, there were no organised political parties in Norway, and the Prime Ministers were considered senior civil servants (Embedsmenn). They were appointed by the King and were not subject to legislative confirmation. All Prime Ministers before 1884 opposed the constitutional reforms proposed by the parliamentary opposition, and were in their time viewed as conservatives. They were subordinate to the Steward, Viceroy and First Minister of Norway.
# Name
(Birth–Death)
Picture Took office Left office Political party Term
1 Peder Anker
(1749–1824)
1814 1822 N/A 1
2 Mathias Sommerhielm
(1764–1827)
1822 1827 N/A 2
3 Severin Løvenskiold
(1777–1856)
1828 1841 N/A 3
4 Frederik Due
(1796–1873)
1841 1858 N/A 4
5 Georg Sibbern
(1816–1901)
1858 1871 N/A 5
6 Otto Richard Kierulf
(1825–1897)
1871 1873 N/A 6

Split Prime Ministership (1873–1905)

In 1873 the office of the First Minister of Norway was upgraded to Prime Minister, based in Christiania. The office of Prime Minister based in Stockholm continued, with responsibility for communicating the policies of the Prime Minister in Christiania to the King. In addition, a Prime Minister of Sweden was appointed from 1876 onwards.

      Liberal Party of Norway (Venstre)       Conservative Party (Høyre)       Coalition Party (Samlingspartiet)

Term of office Cabinet
# Name
(Birth-Death)
Picture Political party # Name
(Birth-Death)
Picture Political party
1 Otto Richard Kierulf
(1825–1897)
N/A 1 Frederik Stang
(1808–1884)
N/A 1873 1880 F.Stang
2 Christian August Selmer
(1816–1889)
Conservative Party 1880 1884 Selmer
- Wolfgang Wenzel von Haffner
(1806–1892)
(acting)
N/A 1884 1884
2 Carl Otto Løvenskiold
(1839–1916)
N/A 3 Christian Homann Schweigaard
(1838–1899)
Conservative Party 1884 1884 Schweigaard
3 Ole Jørgen Richter
(1829–1888)
Liberal Party 4 Johan Sverdrup
(1838–1899)
Liberal Party 1884 1888 Sverdrup
V
4 Hans Georg Jacob Stang
(1830–1907)
Liberal Party 1888 1889
5 Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram
(1846–1929)
Conservative Party 5 Emil Stang
(1834–1912)
Conservative Party 1889 1891 Stang I
H
6 Otto Albert Blehr
(1847–1927)
Liberal Party 6 Johannes Steen
(1827–1906)
Liberal Party 1891 1893 Steen I
V
(5) Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram
(1846–1929)
Conservative Party (5) Emil Stang
(1834–1912)
Conservative Party 1893 1895 Stang II
H
7 Francis Hagerup
(1853–1921)
Conservative Party 1895 1898 Hagerup I
HMVV
(6) Otto Albert Blehr
(1853–1921)
Liberal Party (6) Johannes Steen
(1827–1906)
Liberal Party 1898 1902 Steen II
V
7 Ole Anton Qvam
(1834–1904)
Liberal Party 8 Otto Blehr
(1847–1927)
Liberal Party 1902 1903 Blehr I
V
8 Sigurd Ibsen
(1859–1930)
Liberal Party (7) Francis Hagerup
(1853–1921)
Coalition Party 1903 1905 Hagerup II
HV
9 Jørgen Løvland
(1848–1922)
Liberal Party 9 Christian Michelsen
(1857–1925)
Liberal Party 1905 1905 Michelsen
VHMV

Prime Ministers of Norway (1905–present)

In 1905, the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved. Since then the office of the Prime Minister of Norway has been in Oslo, except for the years of Nazi-German occupation during World War II when the Norwegian government was in exile in London.

Prime Ministers of Norway (1905–1945)

      Liberal Party of Norway (Venstre)       Free-minded Liberal Party (Frisinnede Venstre)       Conservative Party (Høyre)       Norwegian Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)       Agrarian Party (Bondepartiet)

# Name
(Birth-Death)
Picture Took office Left office Political party Cabinet
1 Christian Michelsen
(1857–1925)
11 March 1905 23 October 1907 Liberal Party Michelsen
VHMV
2 Jørgen Løvland
(1848–1922)
23 October 1907 19 March 1908 Liberal Party Løvland
VFVMV
3 Gunnar Knudsen
(1848–1928)
19 March 1908 2 February 1910 Liberal Party Knudsen I
V
4 Wollert Konow
(1845–1924)
2 February 1910 20 February 1912 Free-minded Liberal Party Konow
HFV
5 Jens Bratlie
(1856–1939)
20 February 1912 31 January 1913 Conservative Party Bratlie
HFV
(3) Gunnar Knudsen
(1848–1928)
31 January 1913 21 June 1920 Liberal Party Knudsen II
V
6 Otto Bahr Halvorsen
(1872–1923)
21 June 1920 22 June 1921 Conservative Party Bahr Halvorsen I
HFV
7 Otto Albert Blehr
(1847–1927)
22 June 1921 23 March 1923 Liberal Party Blehr II
V
(6) Otto Bahr Halvorsen
(1872–1923)
23 March 1923 23 May 1923 Conservative Party Bahr Halvorsen II
HFV
8 Abraham Berge
(1851–1936)
30 May 1923 25 July 1924 Free-minded Liberal Party Berge
HFV
9 Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
(1870–1943)
25 July 1924 5 March 1926 Liberal Party Mowinckel I
V
10 Ivar Lykke
(1872–1949)
5 March 1926 28 January 1928 Conservative Party Lykke
HFV
11 Christopher Hornsrud
(1859–1960)
28 January 1928 15 February 1928 Labour Party Hornsrud
Ap
(9) Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
(1870–1943)
15 February 1928 12 May 1931 Liberal Party Mowinckel II
V
12 Peder Kolstad
(1878–1932)
21 May 1931 5 March 1932 Agrarian Party Kolstad
B
13 Jens Hundseid
(1883–1965)
14 March 1932 3 March 1933 Agrarian Party Hundseid
B
(9) Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
(1870–1943)
3 March 1933 20 March 1935 Liberal Party Mowinckel III
V
14 Johan Nygaardsvold
(1879–1952)
20 March 1935 25 June 1945 Labour Party Nygaardsvold
Ap

De facto heads of government during World War II

During the German occupation of Norway during World War II there were four cabinets, that ruled as part of Josef Terboven's administration of Norway. These Governments were the de facto ruling body of Norway during the war, though Johan Nygaardsvold was still the internationally recognised prime minister, in exile in London, United Kingdom.

      Nasjonal Samling       Nazi Party       No party

# Name
(Birth-Death)
Picture Took office Left office Political party Cabinet
1 Vidkun Quisling
(1887–1945)
9 April 1940 15 April 1940 Nasjonal Samling Quisling I
NS
2 Ingolf Elster Christensen
(1872–1943)
as Chairman of the Administrative Council
15 April 1940 25 September 1940 No party Administrative Council
3 Josef Terboven
(1898–1945)
as Reichskommissar
25 September 1940 1 February 1942 National Socialist German Workers' Party Reichskommissariat
NSDAP
(1) Vidkun Quisling
(1887–1945)
as Minister President
1 February 1942 9 May 1945 Nasjonal Samling Quisling II
NS

Prime Ministers of Norway (1945–present)

      Norwegian Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)       Conservative Party (Høyre)       Centre Party (Senterpartiet)       Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)

# Name
(Birth-Death)
Picture Took office Left office Political party Elected Cabinet(s)
15 Einar Gerhardsen
(1897–1987)
25 June 1945 9 November 1951 Labour Party Gerhardsen I
ApHSpVNKP
1945
1949
Gerhardsen II
Ap
16 Oscar Torp
(1893–1958)
9 November 1951 22 January 1955 Labour Party 1953 Torp
Ap
(15) Einar Gerhardsen
(1897–1987)
22 January 1955 28 August 1963 Labour Party 1957
1961
Gerhardsen III
Ap
17 John Lyng
(1905–1978)
28 August 1963 25 September 1963 Conservative Party Lyng
HSpKrFV
(15) Einar Gerhardsen
(1897–1987)
25 September 1963 12 October 1965 Labour Party Gerhardsen IV
Ap
18 Per Borten
(1913–2005)
12 October 1965 17 March 1971 Centre Party 1965
1969
Borten
SpHKrFV
19 Trygve Bratteli
(1910–1984)
17 March 1971 17 October 1972 Labour Party Bratteli I
Ap
20 Lars Korvald
(1916–2006)
17 October 1972 12 October 1973 Christian Democratic Party Korvald
KrFSpV
(19) Trygve Bratteli
(1910–1984)
12 October 1973 15 January 1976 Labour Party 1973 Bratteli II
Ap
21 Odvar Nordli
(1927–)
15 January 1976 4 February 1981 Labour Party 1977 Nordli
Ap
22 Gro Harlem Brundtland
(1939–)
4 February 1981 14 October 1981 Labour Party Brundtland I
Ap
23 Kåre Willoch
(1928–)
14 October 1981 9 May 1986 Conservative Party 1981 Willoch I
H
1985 Willoch II
HKrFSp
(22) Gro Harlem Brundtland
(1939–)
9 May 1986 16 October 1989 Labour Party Brundtland II
Ap
24 Jan P. Syse
(1930–1997)
16 October 1989 3 November 1990 Conservative Party 1989 Syse
HKrFSp
(22) Gro Harlem Brundtland
(1939–)
3 November 1990 25 October 1996 Labour Party 1993 Brundtland III
Ap
25 Thorbjørn Jagland
(1950–)
25 October 1996 17 October 1997 Labour Party Jagland
Ap
26 Kjell Magne Bondevik
(1947–)
17 October 1997 17 March 2000 Christian Democratic Party 1997 Bondevik I
KrFSpV
27 Jens Stoltenberg
(1959–)
17 March 2000 19 October 2001 Labour Party Stoltenberg I
Ap
(26) Kjell Magne Bondevik
(1947–)
19 October 2001 17 October 2005 Christian Democratic Party 2001 Bondevik II
KrFHV
(27) Jens Stoltenberg
(1959–)
17 October 2005 16 October 2013 Labour Party 2005
2009
Stoltenberg II
ApSVSp
28 Erna Solberg
(1961–)
16 October 2013 Incumbent Conservative Party 2013 Solberg
HFrP

See also

External links

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