List of heads of government of Norway

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)

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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 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)

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
Peder Anker
(1749–1824)
1814 1822 N/A 1
Mathias Otto Leth Sommerhielm
(1764–1827)
1822 1827 N/A 2
Severin Løvenskiold
(1777–1856)
1828 1841 N/A 3
Frederik Gottschalck Haxthausen Due
(1796–1873)
1841 1858 N/A 4
Georg Christian Sibbern
(1816–1901)
1858 1871 N/A 5
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)

Prime Minister in Stockholm

Prime Minister in Christiania

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

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 (1905–1940)

  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 Monarchs of Kingdom of Norway
(Reign)
Christian Michelsen
(1857–1925)
11 March 1905 23 October 1907 Liberal Party Michelsen
V–H–MV
Haakon VII

(18 November 1905 – 21 September 1957)
Jørgen Løvland
(1848–1922)
23 October 1907 19 March 1908 Liberal Party Løvland
V–MV
Gunnar Knudsen
(1848–1928)
19 March 1908 2 February 1910 Liberal Party Knudsen I
V
Wollert Konow
(1845–1924)
2 February 1910 20 February 1912 Free-minded Liberal Party Konow
H–FV
Jens Bratlie
(1856–1939)
20 February 1912 31 January 1913 Conservative Party Bratlie
H–FV
Gunnar Knudsen
(1848–1928)
31 January 1913 21 June 1920 Liberal Party Knudsen II
V
Otto Bahr Halvorsen
(1872–1923)
21 June 1920 22 June 1921 Conservative Party Bahr Halvorsen I
H–FV
Otto Albert Blehr
(1847–1927)
22 June 1921 6 March 1923 Liberal Party Blehr II
V
Otto Bahr Halvorsen
(1872–1923)
6 March 1923 23 May 1923 Conservative Party Bahr Halvorsen II
H–FV
Abraham Berge
(1851–1936)
30 May 1923 25 July 1924 Free-minded Liberal Party Berge
H–FV
Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
(1870–1943)
25 July 1924 5 March 1926 Liberal Party Mowinckel I
V
Ivar Lykke
(1872–1949)
5 March 1926 28 January 1928 Conservative Party Lykke
H–FV
Christopher Hornsrud
(1859–1960)
28 January 1928 15 February 1928 Labour Party Hornsrud
Ap
Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
(1870–1943)
15 February 1928 12 May 1931 Liberal Party Mowinckel II
V
Peder Kolstad
(1878–1932)
12 May 1931 5 March 1932 Agrarian Party Kolstad
B
Jens Hundseid
(1883–1965)
14 March 1932 3 March 1933 Agrarian Party Hundseid
B
Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
(1870–1943)
3 March 1933 20 March 1935 Liberal Party Mowinckel III
V
Johan Nygaardsvold
(1879–1952)
20 March 1935
(head of government in exile from 1940)
25 June 1945 Labour Party Nygaardsvold
Ap

Heads of Government (1940–1945)

Governments sanction by Nazi-Germany during the occupation of Norway. Nygaardsvolds exile government (1935-1945) is recognized as the elected government during the occupation.

  National Unity (Nasjonal Samling)   Conservative Party (Høyre)   German Nazi Party

Name
(Birth-Death)
Picture Took Office Left Office Political Party Cabinet
Vidkun Quisling
(1887–1945)
9 April 1940 (committed a coup d'état) 15 April 1940 National Unity Quisling I
NS
Ingolf Elster Christensen
(1872–1943)
as Chairman of the Administrative Council
15 April 1940 25 September 1940 Conservative Party Administrative Council
Josef Terboven
(1898–1945)
as Reichskommissar
25 September 1940 1 February 1942 Member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, but serving as a German civil servant rather than in a political role Reichskommissariat
NSDAP
Vidkun Quisling
(1887–1945)
as Minister President
1 February 1942 9 May 1945 National Unity 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 Elected Took Office Left Office Political Party Cabinet(s) Monarchs of Kingdom of Norway
(Reign)
Einar Gerhardsen
(1897–1987)
25 June 1945 19 November 1951 Labour Party Gerhardsen I
Ap–H–Sp–V–NKP
Haakon VII

(18 November 1905 – 21 September 1957)
1945
1949
Gerhardsen II
Ap
Oscar Torp
(1893–1958)
1953 19 November 1951 22 January 1955 Labour Party Torp
Ap
Einar Gerhardsen
(1897–1987)
1957
1961
22 January 1955 28 August 1963 Labour Party Gerhardsen III
Ap
Olav V

(21 September 1957 – 17 January 1991)
John Lyng
(1905–1978)
28 August 1963 25 September 1963 Conservative Party Lyng
H–SpKrF–V
Einar Gerhardsen
(1897–1987)
25 September 1963 12 October 1965 Labour Party Gerhardsen IV
Ap
Per Borten
(1913–2005)
1965
1969
12 October 1965 17 March 1971 Centre Party Borten
Sp–H–KrF–V
Trygve Bratteli
(1910–1984)
17 March 1971 18 October 1972 Labour Party Bratteli I
Ap
Lars Korvald
(1916–2006)
18 October 1972 16 October 1973 Christian Democratic Party Korvald
KrFSp–V
Trygve Bratteli
(1910–1984)
1973 16 October 1973 15 January 1976 Labour Party Bratteli II
Ap
Odvar Nordli
(1927–2018)
1977 15 January 1976 4 February 1981 Labour Party Nordli
Ap
Gro Harlem Brundtland
(born 1939)
4 February 1981 14 October 1981 Labour Party Brundtland I
Ap
Kåre Willoch
(born 1928)
1981 14 October 1981 9 May 1986 Conservative Party Willoch I
H
1985 Willoch II
H–KrFSp
Gro Harlem Brundtland
(born 1939)
9 May 1986 16 October 1989 Labour Party Brundtland II
Ap
Jan Peder Syse
(1930–1997)
1989 16 October 1989 3 November 1990 Conservative Party Syse
H–KrFSp
Gro Harlem Brundtland
(born 1939)
1993 3 November 1990 25 October 1996 Labour Party Brundtland III
Ap
Harald V

(17 January 1991 – present)
Thorbjørn Jagland
(born 1950)
25 October 1996 17 October 1997 Labour Party Jagland
Ap
Kjell Magne Bondevik
(born 1947)
1997 17 October 1997 17 March 2000 Christian Democratic Party Bondevik I
KrFSp–V
Jens Stoltenberg
(born 1959)
17 March 2000 19 October 2001 Labour Party Stoltenberg I
Ap
Kjell Magne Bondevik
(born 1947)
2001 19 October 2001 17 October 2005 Christian Democratic Party Bondevik II
KrF–H–V
Jens Stoltenberg
(born 1959)
2005
2009
17 October 2005 16 October 2013 Labour Party Stoltenberg II
Ap–SV–Sp
Erna Solberg
(born 1961)
2013 16 October 2013 17 January 2018 Conservative Party Solberg I
HFrP
2017 17 January 2018 22 January 2019 Solberg II
H–FrPV
22 January 2019 24 January 2020 Solberg III
H–FrPV-KrF
24 January 2020 Incumbent Solberg IV

HVKrF

Timeline

Erna SolbergJens StoltenbergKjell Magne BondevikThorbjørn JaglandJan P. SyseKåre WillochGro Harlem BrundtlandOdvar NordliLars KorvaldTrygve BratteliPer BortenJohn LyngOscar TorpEinar GerhardsenJohan NygaardsvoldJens HundseidPeder KolstadChristopher HornsrudIvar LykkeJohan Ludwig MowinckelAbraham BergeOtto BlehrOtto Bahr HalvorsenJens BratlieWollert KonowGunnar KnudsenJørgen LøvlandChristian Michelsen

See also

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