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 (Template:Langx). At various times in the past, the highest governmental title has included steward (Template:Langx), viceroy (Template:Langx) and first minister (Template:Langx)
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 (Template:Langx). 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
[edit]Template:Main The Steward of Norway, styled Template:Lang in Danish (riksstattholder in modern Norwegian spelling), meaning Royal steward of the realm (see Steward), 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.
Split premiership (1814–1905)
[edit]First Minister (1814–1873)
[edit]- Prior to 1884, there were no organised political parties in Norway; 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. The Prime Minister was subordinate to the Steward and Viceroy, and the First Minister was subordinate to the Prime Minister. The de facto head of government was the First Minister.
Prime Minister in Christiania (1873–1905)
[edit]- 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, making it subordinate to the office in Christiania. In addition, a separate Prime Minister of Sweden was appointed from 1876 onwards.
Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2
Prime Ministers of Norway (1905–present)
[edit]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)
[edit]Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2
Heads of Government (1940–1945)
[edit]Government sanction by Nazi Germany during the occupation of Norway. The Nygaardsvold exile government (1935–1945) is recognised as the elected government during the occupation.
Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2
Portrait | Name Template:Small |
Term of office | Party | Cabinet Template:Small | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
File:Portrett av Vidkun Quisling i sivile klær, ukjent datering.jpg | Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945) |
Template:Dts Template:Small |
Template:Dts | Template:Ayd | style="background:Template:Party color| | National Unity | Quisling I Template:Small |
File:Ingolf Elster Christensen.jpg | Ingolf Elster Christensen (1872–1943) Template:Small |
Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Ayd | style="background:Template:Party color| | Conservative Party | Administrative Council |
File:Terboven statsakten.jpg | Josef Terboven (1898–1945) Template:Small |
Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Ayd | style="background:Template:Party color| | Nazi Party | Reichskommissariat Template:Small |
File:Portrett av Vidkun Quisling i sivile klær, ukjent datering.jpg | Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945) Template:Small |
Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Ayd | style="background:Template:Party color| | National Unity | Quisling II Template:Small |
Prime Ministers of Norway (1945–present)
[edit]Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2
Timeline since 1905
[edit]<timeline> Define $width = 1000 # 4 pixels per year ($end - $start) × 4 Define $warning = 880 # $width - 120 Define $height = 800 # 29 × 25 + 150 Define $footnote = 800 # $width - 400
Define $start = 1843 Define $end = 2025 Define $now = 2025
ImageSize = width:$width height:$height PlotArea = right:10 left:1 bottom:80 top:60 Period = from:$start till:$end TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal Legend = orientation:vertical columns:1 left:0 top:50 columnwidth:500
Colors =
id:bg value:white id:lightline value:rgb(0.8, 0.8, 0.8) id:lighttext value:rgb(0.5, 0.5, 0.5) id:LIFESPAN value:rgb(0.88, 0.90, 0.70) Legend: Lifespan id:PM_LIB value:rgb(0.55, 0.84, 0) Legend: Liberal id:PM_FML value:rgb(0.93, 0.68, 0.93) Legend: Free-Minded_Liberal id:PM_CON value:rgb(0.53, 0.68, 0.84) Legend: Conservative id:PM_LAB value:rgb(0.84, 0.04, 0.15) Legend: Labour id:PM_CEN value:rgb(0, 0.52, 0.24) Legend: Agrarian/Centre id:PM_CD value:rgb(1, 0.85, 0.35) Legend: Christian_Democrat id:NAME value:rgb(0.15, 0.13, 0.05) id:TODAY value:green
BackgroundColors = canvas:bg ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightline unit:year increment:1 start:$start ScaleMajor = gridcolor:lighttext unit:year increment:10 start:1850
Define $dy = -5 # shift text to button side of bar
LineData=
at:$now color:TODAY width:0.1
PlotData=
bar:1 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1857 till:1905 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Christian Michelson color:PM_LIB from:1905 till:1907 color:LIFESPAN from:1907 till:1925
bar:2 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1848 till:1907 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Jørgen Løvland color:PM_LIB from:1907 till:1908 color:LIFESPAN from:1908 till:1922
bar:3 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1848 till:1908 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Gunnar Knudsen color:PM_LIB from:1908 till:1910 color:LIFESPAN from:1910 till:1913 color:PM_LIB from:1913 till:1920 color:LIFESPAN from:1920 till:1928
bar:4 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1845 till:1910 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Wollert Konow color:PM_FML from:1910 till:1912 color:LIFESPAN from:1912 till:1924
bar:5 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1856 till:1912 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Jens Bratlie color:PM_CON from:1912 till:1913 color:LIFESPAN from:1913 till:1939
bar:6 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1872 till:1920 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Otto Bahr Halvorsen color:PM_CON from:1920 till:1921 color:LIFESPAN from:1921 till:1923 color:PM_CON from:1923 till:1923.4
bar:7 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1847 till:1921 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Otto Blehr color:PM_LIB from:1921 till:1923 color:LIFESPAN from:1923 till:1927
bar:8 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1851 till:1923.4 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Abraham Berge color:PM_FML from:1923.4 till:1924 color:LIFESPAN from:1924 till:1936
bar:9 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1870 till:1924 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Johan Ludwig Mowinckel color:PM_LIB from:1924 till:1926 color:LIFESPAN from:1926 till:1928.4 color:PM_LIB from:1928.4 till:1931 color:LIFESPAN from:1931 till:1933 color:PM_LIB from:1933 till:1935 color:LIFESPAN from:1935 till:1943
bar:10 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1872 till:1926 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Ivar Lykke color:PM_CON from:1926 till:1928 color:LIFESPAN from:1928 till:1949
bar:11 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1859 till:1928 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Christopher Hornsrud color:PM_LAB from:1928 till:1928.4 color:LIFESPAN from:1928.4 till:1960
bar:12 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1878 till:1931 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Peder Kolstad color:PM_CEN from:1931 till:1932
bar:13 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1883 till:1932 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Jens Hundseid color:PM_CEN from:1932 till:1933 color:LIFESPAN from:1933 till:1965
bar:14 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1879 till:1935 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Johan Nygaardsvold color:PM_LAB from:1935 till:1945 color:LIFESPAN from:1945 till:1952
bar:15 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1897 till:1945 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Einar Gerhardsen color:PM_LAB from:1945 till:1951 color:LIFESPAN from:1951 till:1955 color:PM_LAB from:1955 till:1963 color:LIFESPAN from:1963 till:1963.4 color:PM_LAB from:1963.4 till:1965 color:LIFESPAN from:1965 till:1987
bar:16 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1893 till:1951 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Oscar Torp color:PM_LAB from:1951 till:1955 color:LIFESPAN from:1955 till:1958
bar:17 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1905 till:1963 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:John Lyng color:PM_CON from:1963 till:1963.4 color:LIFESPAN from:1963.4 till:1978
bar:18 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1913 till:1965 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Per Borten color:PM_CEN from:1965 till:1971 color:LIFESPAN from:1971 till:2005
bar:19 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1910 till:1971 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Trygve Bratteli color:PM_LAB from:1971 till:1972 color:LIFESPAN from:1972 till:1973 color:PM_LAB from:1973 till:1976 color:LIFESPAN from:1976 till:1984
bar:20 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1916 till:1972 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Lars Korvald color:PM_CD from:1972 till:1973 color:LIFESPAN from:1973 till:2006
bar:21 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1927 till:1976 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Odvar Nordli color:PM_LAB from:1976 till:1981 color:LIFESPAN from:1981 till:2018
bar:22 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1939 till:1981 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Gro Harlem Brundtland color:PM_LAB from:1981 till:1981.4 color:LIFESPAN from:1981.4 till:1986 color:PM_LAB from:1986 till:1989 color:LIFESPAN from:1989 till:1990 color:PM_LAB from:1990 till:1996 color:LIFESPAN from:1996 till:$now
bar:23 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1928 till:1981.4 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Kåre Willoch color:PM_CON from:1981.4 till:1986 color:LIFESPAN from:1986 till:2021
bar:24 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1930 till:1989 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Jan P. Syse color:PM_CON from:1989 till:1990 color:LIFESPAN from:1990 till:1997
bar:25 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1950 till:1996 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Thorbjørn Jagland color:PM_LAB from:1996 till:1997 color:LIFESPAN from:1997 till:$now
bar:26 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1947 till:1997 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Kjell Magne Bondevik color:PM_CD from:1997 till:2000 color:LIFESPAN from:2000 till:2001 color:PM_CD from:2001 till:2005 color:LIFESPAN from:2005 till:$now
bar:27 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1959 till:2000 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Jens Stoltenberg color:PM_LAB from:2000 till:2001 color:LIFESPAN from:2001 till:2005 color:PM_LAB from:2005 till:2013 color:LIFESPAN from:2013 till:$now
bar:28 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1961 till:2013 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Erna Solberg color:PM_CON from:2013 till:2021 color:LIFESPAN from:2021 till:$now
bar:29 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1960 till:2021 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Jonas Gahr Støre color:PM_LAB from:2021 till:$now
TextData =
fontsize:M textcolor:green pos:($warning,30) text:Updated 10/2025
TextData =
pos:(250,$height) fontsize:L textcolor:black text:"Lifespan and terms of office of each Norwegian Prime Minister"</timeline>
See also
[edit]External links
[edit]- Norway's Prime Ministers — A pictorial with portraits of Norway's Prime Ministers (Aftenposten)