List of Norwegian governments
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Norwegian governments with parties and Prime Ministers. Within coalition governments the parties are listed according to parliamentary representation with the most popular party first. The Prime Ministers'
parties are italicized.
, all the cabinets were appointed by the King of Sweden, who was also King of Norway.
was introduced in Norway. Since then, all governments had to have support in the Parliament of Norway, and consisted of party member ministers.
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 the Cabinet Nygaardsvold
still held the de jure
office, in exile
in London
, United Kingdom
.
Prime Minister of Norway
The Prime Minister of Norway is the political leader of Norway and the Head of His Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Stortinget , to their political party, and ultimately the...
parties are italicized.
Between 1814 and 1884
With exception of the Cabinet of 1814, that was appointed by the then Crown-Prince of Denmark, Christian FredrikChristian VIII of Denmark
Christian VIII , was king of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, king of Norway in 1814. He was the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, born in 1786 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen...
, all the cabinets were appointed by the King of Sweden, who was also King of Norway.
| Cabinet | Took office | Left office | Governor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet of 1814 | |||
| Wedel-Jarlsberg's First Cabinet | Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg was a politician and a Norwegian count, one of only two titled noblemen in Norway... |
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| Wedel-Jarlsberg's Second Cabinet | Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg | ||
| Løvenskiold and Vogt's Cabinet | Severin Løvenskiold Severin Løvenskiold Severin Løvenskiold, the younger , was a Norwegian nobleman and a politician.-Early life:... Jørgen Herman Vogt Jørgen Herman Vogt Jørgen Herman Vogt was a Norwegian politician who served as first minister of Norway from 1855 to 1858, during the personal union between Sweden and Norway... |
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| Stang's Cabinet | Frederik Stang Frederik Stang Frederik Stang was a Norwegian lawyer, public servant, and politician who served as Norway's first prime minister.... |
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| Selmer's Cabinet | Christian August Selmer Christian August Selmer Christian August Selmer was a Norwegian politician who served as a member of the Norwegian parliament, minister of defense, minister of justice, and prime minister... |
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| Schweigaard's Cabinet | Christian Homann Schweigaard Christian Homann Schweigaard Christian Homann Schweigaard was a Norwegian Supreme Court lawyer and politician . He was prime minister in "April the Ministry" in 1884... |
Between 1884 and 1945
In 1884 the parliamentary systemParliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
was introduced in Norway. Since then, all governments had to have support in the Parliament of Norway, and consisted of party member ministers.
| Cabinet | Took office | Left office | Prime Minister | Party(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sverdrup's Cabinet | Johan Sverdrup Johan Sverdrup Johan Sverdrup was a Norwegian politician from the Liberal Party. He was the first Prime Minister of Norway after the introduction of parliamentarism. Sverdrup was Prime Minister from 1884 to 1889.- Early years :... |
Liberal | ||
| Stang's First Cabinet | Emil Stang Emil Stang Emil Stang was a Norwegian jurist and politician. He became Prime Minister of Norway and was the first chairman of the Conservative Party.... |
Conservative Conservative Party of Norway The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s... |
||
| Steen's First Cabinet | Johannes Steen Johannes Steen Johannes Wilhelm Christian Steen was a Norwegian politician, Prime Minister of Norway from 1891 to 1893 and from 1898 to 1902.... |
Liberal | ||
| Stang's Second Cabinet | Emil Stang | Conservative | ||
| Hagerup's First Cabinet | Francis Hagerup Francis Hagerup George Francis Hagerup was a Norwegian lawyer, diplomat and politician for the Conservative Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 14 October 1895 to 17 February 1898 and from 22 October 1903 to 11 March 1905.Francis Hagerup grew up in Trondheim... |
Conservative, Moderate Liberal Moderate Liberal Party Moderate Liberal Party was a Norwegian political party that emerged from the conservative branch of the Liberal Party in 1888, consisting mainly of the Low Church... , Independent Liberals |
||
| Steen's Second Cabinet | Johannes Steen | Liberal | ||
| Blehr's First Cabinet | Otto Albert Blehr | Liberal | ||
| Hagerup's Second Cabinet | Francis Hagerup | Coalition Party | ||
| Michelsen's Cabinet Michelsen's Cabinet The Michelsen's Cabinet was a Norwegian cabinet, formed by a coalition of the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the Moderate Liberal Party and the Coalition Party. It governed Norway between 11 March 1905 and 23 October 1907. It entered office as part of the build-up for the dissolution of the... |
Christian Michelsen Christian Michelsen Peter Christian Hersleb Kjerschow Michelsen was a Norwegian shipping magnate and statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of an independent Norway from 1905 to 1907... |
Liberal, Conservative, Moderate Liberal | ||
| Cabinet Løvland | Jørgen Løvland Jørgen Løvland Jørgen Gunnarsson Løvland was a Norwegian politician and Prime Minister. He was Minister of Labour 1898-1899, 1900-1902 and 1902-1903, member of the Council of State Division in Stockholm 1899-1900, Prime Minister in Stockholm in 1905, Minister of Foreign Affairs 1905 and 1905-1907, Prime Minister... |
Liberal, Liberal Left, Moderate Liberal | ||
| Knudsen's First Cabinet | Gunnar Knudsen Gunnar Knudsen Gunnar Knudsen , born Aanon Gunerius Knudsen, was a Norwegian politician from the Liberal Party who had two spells as Prime Minister of Norway from 1908 to 1910 and from 1913 to 1920... |
Liberal | ||
| Konow's Cabinet Konow's Cabinet The Konow's Cabinet was a Norwegian cabinet, formed by a coalition of the Conservative Party and the Liberal Left Party. It was in office from 2 February 1910 to 20 February 1912.-Cabinet members:-State Secretary:... |
Wollert Konow Wollert Konow (SB) Wollert Konow was a Norwegian politician. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1910 to 1912.-Background:In 1842 his father, Wollert Konow, Ph.D., who was a Norwegian writer and politician, had purchased the historic Stend Manor in the Fana borough of Bergen, Norway where Wollert Konow was born... |
Conservative, Liberal Left | ||
| Bratlie's Cabinet | Jens Bratlie Jens Bratlie Jens Kristian Meinich Bratlie was a Norwegian politician, representing the Conservative Party. He was born in Nordre Land. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1912 to 1913.-References:* - Government.no... |
Conservative, Liberal Left | ||
| Knudsen's Second Cabinet | Gunnar Knudsen | Liberal | ||
| Bahr Halvorsen's First Cabinet | Otto Bahr Halvorsen Otto Bahr Halvorsen Otto Bahr Halvorsen was a Norwegian politician from the Conservative Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1920 to 1921 and again in 1923 when he died in office.... |
Conservative, Liberal Left | ||
| Blehr's Second Cabinet | Otto Albert Blehr | Liberal | ||
| Bahr Halvorsen's Second Cabinet | Otto Bahr Halvorsen | Conservative, Liberal Left | ||
| Berge's Cabinet | Abraham Berge Abraham Berge Abraham Theodor Berge was a Norwegian politician representing Venstre, the social liberal party, and later Frisinnede Venstre, a right-of-centre party... |
Conservative, Liberal Left | ||
| First cabinet Mowinckel First cabinet Mowinckel The Mowinckel's First Cabinet governed Norway between 25 July 1924 and 5 March 1926. It had the following composition:-Cabinet members:-Secretary to the Council of State:... |
Johan Ludwig Mowinckel Johan Ludwig Mowinckel Johan Ludwig Mowinckel was a Norwegian political figure representing Venstre, the social liberal party. He served as Prime Minister of Norway between 1924 and 1926, again from 1928 until 1931, and finally between 1933 and 1935.Born in Bergen, he founded the shipping company A/S J. Ludwig... |
Liberal | ||
| Lykke's Cabinet | Ivar Lykke Ivar Lykke Ivar Lykke was a Norwegian politician from the Conservative Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1926 to 1928.-References:... |
Conservative, Liberal Left | ||
| Hornsrud's Cabinet | Christopher Hornsrud Christopher Hornsrud Christopher Andersen Hornsrud served as Prime Minister of Norway from January to February 1928. He combined the post of prime minister with that of minister of finance. Although his tenure as Prime Minister was brief, his list of political accomplishments is not... |
Labour Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway.... |
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| Mowinckel's Second Cabinet | Johan Ludwig Mowinckel | Liberal | ||
| Kolstad's Cabinet | Peder Kolstad Peder Kolstad Peder Ludvik Kolstad was a Norwegian politician from the Agrarian Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1931 until his death in 1932.-References:... |
Agrarian Centre Party (Norway) The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its... |
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| Hundseid's Cabinet | Jens Hundseid Jens Hundseid Jens Hundseid was a Norwegian politician from the Agrarian Party. He was a member of the Norwegian parliament from 1924 to 1940 and Prime Minister of Norway from 1932 to 1933.... |
Agrarian | ||
| Mowinckel's Third Cabinet | Johan Ludwig Mowinckel | Liberal | ||
| Nygaardsvold's Cabinet | Johan Nygaardsvold Johan Nygaardsvold Johan Nygaardsvold was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1935 to 1945 , as head of the cabinet Nygaardsvold.-Political career:... |
Labour |
De facto Governments during World War II
During the German occupation of NorwayOccupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
during World War II there were four cabinets, that ruled as part of Josef Terboven
Josef Terboven
Josef Antonius Heinrich Terboven was a Nazi leader, best known as the Reichskommissar during the German occupation of Norway.-Early life:...
s administration of Norway. These Governments were the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
ruling body of Norway during the war, though the Cabinet Nygaardsvold
Cabinet Nygaardsvold
Nygaardsvold's Cabinet was appointed on 20 March 1935, the second Labour cabinet in Norway. It closed the brought to an end the non-socialist, minority Governments that had been dominating politics since the introduction of the parliamentary system in 1884, and replaced it with stable, Labour...
still held the de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
office, in exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
| Cabinet | Took office | Left office | Prime Minister/Chairman | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quisling's First Cabinet | Vidkun Quisling Vidkun Quisling Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling was a Norwegian politician. On 9 April 1940, with the German invasion of Norway in progress, he seized power in a Nazi-backed coup d'etat that garnered him international infamy. From 1942 to 1945 he served as Minister-President, working with the occupying... |
National Unification | ||
| Administrative Council Administrative Council (Norway) The Administrative Council was a council established by the Supreme Court to govern Norway. The council was established on 15 April 1940, replacing Quisling's First Cabinet, and sat until 25 September, when it was replaced by the Reichskommissariat Norwegen headed by Josef Terboven. The council... |
Ingolf Elster Christensen | Independent | ||
| Terboven's Cabinet | Josef Terboven Josef Terboven Josef Antonius Heinrich Terboven was a Nazi leader, best known as the Reichskommissar during the German occupation of Norway.-Early life:... |
National Unification | ||
| Quisling's Second Cabinet | Vidkun Quisling | National Unification |
Governments since 1945
| Cabinet | Took office | Left office | Prime Minister | Party(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerhardsen's First Cabinet | Einar Gerhardsen Einar Gerhardsen was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism... |
Labour, Conservative, Liberal, Agrarian, Communist Communist Party of Norway The Communist Party of Norway is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. The party played an important role in the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and experienced a brief... |
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| Gerhardsen's Second Cabinet Gerhardsen's Second Cabinet Gerhardsen's Second Cabinet governed Norway between 5 November 1945 and 19 November 1951. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Einar Gerhardsen.... |
Einar Gerhardsen | Labour Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway.... |
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| Torp's Cabinet Torp's Cabinet Torp's Cabinet governed Norway between 19 November 1951 and 21 January 1955. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Oscar Torp.... |
Oscar Torp Oscar Torp was a Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. He was party leader from 1923 to 1945, and mayor of Oslo in 1935 and 1936. In 1935 he became acting Minister of Defence in the government of Johan Nygaardsvold. He was also Minister of Social Affairs from 1936 to 1939, and then Minister of... |
Labour | ||
| Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet | Einar Gerhardsen | Labour | ||
| Lyng's Cabinet | John Lyng John Lyng was a Norwegian politician from the Conservative Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 28 August to 25 September 1963 in a coalition government consisting of the Conservative, Centre, Christian Democratic, and Liberal parties.He was originally a member of the Liberal Left Party, heading the... |
Conservative Conservative Party of Norway The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s... , Centre Centre Party (Norway) The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its... , Christian Democratic Christian People's Party (Norway) The Christian Democratic Party , is a Christian Democratic Norwegian political party founded in 1933. The Norwegian name literally translates to Christian People's Party... , Liberal |
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| Gerhardsen's Fourth Cabinet | Einar Gerhardsen | Labour | ||
| Borten's Cabinet | Per Borten Per Borten was a Norwegian politician from the Centre Party and Prime Minister of Norway from 1965 to 1971. Per Borten is credited for leading the modernization of what was then named Bondepartiet into today's Centre Party... |
Conservative, Liberal, Centre, Christian Democratic | ||
| Bratteli's First Cabinet | Trygve Bratteli Trygve Bratteli was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party and Prime Minister of Norway in 1971–1972 and 1973–1976.-Early life and career:... |
Labour | ||
| Korvald's Cabinet | Lars Korvald Lars Korvald was a Norwegian politician from the Christian Democratic Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1972 to 1973, leading the cabinet that took over when Trygve Bratteli resigned in the wake of the first referendum over Norway's membership in the European Economic Community.-Early life and... |
Centre, Christian Democratic, Liberal | ||
| Bratteli's Second Cabinet | Trygve Bratteli | Labour | ||
| Nordli's Cabinet Nordli's Cabinet Nordli's Cabinet governed Norway between 15 January 1976 and 4 February 1981. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Odvar Nordli. It had the following composition:-Cabinet members:... |
Odvar Nordli Odvar Nordli is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1976 to 1981.Nordli grew up in Tangen in Stange, Hedmark. After World War II he served in the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany, part of the Allied forces occupying post-war Germany... |
Labour | ||
| Brundtland's First Cabinet | Gro Harlem Brundtland Gro Harlem Brundtland Gro Harlem Brundtland is a Norwegian Social democratic politician, diplomat, and physician, and an international leader in sustainable development and public health. She served three terms as Prime Minister of Norway , and has served as the Director General of the World Health Organization... |
Labour | ||
| Willoch's First Cabinet | Kåre Willoch Kåre Willoch Kåre Isaachsen Willoch is a Norwegian politician from the Conservative Party. He served as Minister of Trade and Shipping in 1963 and 1965–1970, and as Prime Minister of Norway from 1981 to 1986... |
Conservative | ||
| Willoch's Second Cabinet | Kåre Willoch | Conservative, Christian Democratic, Centre | ||
| Brundtland's Second Cabinet | Gro Harlem Brundtland | Labour | ||
| Syse's Cabinet | Jan P. Syse Jan P. Syse was a lawyer and Norwegian politician from the Conservative Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1989 to 1990. He also served as Minister of Industry from 1983 to 1985... |
Conservative, Christian Democratic, Centre | ||
| Brundtland's Third Cabinet | Gro Harlem Brundtland | Labour | ||
| Jagland's Cabinet | Thorbjørn Jagland Thorbjørn Jagland is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party, currently serving as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe... |
Labour | ||
| Bondevik's First Cabinet | Kjell Magne Bondevik Kjell Magne Bondevik Kjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II... |
Christian Democratic, Centre, Liberal | ||
| Stoltenberg's First Cabinet | Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001.... |
Labour | ||
| Bondevik's Second Cabinet | Kjell Magne Bondevik | Conservative, Christian Democratic, Liberal | ||
| Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet | incumbent | Jens Stoltenberg | Labour, Socialist Left Socialist Left Party (Norway) The Socialist Left Party or SV, is a Norwegian left-wing political party. At one point one of the smallest parties in Parliament, it became the fourth-largest political party in Norway for the first time in the 2001 parliamentary election, and has been so ever since... , Centre |
Parties
The following parties have had cabinet seats.- Communist PartyCommunist Party of NorwayThe Communist Party of Norway is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. The party played an important role in the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and experienced a brief...
(NKP) (Norges Kommunistiske Parti) - Socialist Left PartySocialist Left Party (Norway)The Socialist Left Party or SV, is a Norwegian left-wing political party. At one point one of the smallest parties in Parliament, it became the fourth-largest political party in Norway for the first time in the 2001 parliamentary election, and has been so ever since...
(SV) (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) - Labour PartyNorwegian Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
(Ap) (Det norske Arbeiderparti) - Centre PartyCentre Party (Norway)The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...
(Sp) (Senterpartiet) - formerly known as the Agrarian Party, Bondepartiet - Christian DemocratsChristian People's Party (Norway)The Christian Democratic Party , is a Christian Democratic Norwegian political party founded in 1933. The Norwegian name literally translates to Christian People's Party...
(KrF) (Kristelig Folkeparti) - Liberal Party (V) (Venstre)
- Coalition Party (Samlingspartiet)
- Liberal Left Party (FV) (Frisinnede Venstre)
- Moderate Liberal PartyModerate Liberal PartyModerate Liberal Party was a Norwegian political party that emerged from the conservative branch of the Liberal Party in 1888, consisting mainly of the Low Church...
(MV) (Moderate Venstre) - Conservative PartyConservative Party of NorwayThe Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...
(H) (Høyre) - National Unification (NS) (Nasjonal Samling)
See also
- Elections in NorwayElections in NorwayNorway elects its legislature on a national level. The parliament, the Storting , has 169 members elected for a four year term by the proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies.Norway has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining...
- List of heads of government of Norway