This is a list of heads of government of Norway. In the modern era, the head of government has the title prime minister (). At various times in the past, the highest governmental title has included steward (), viceroy () and first minister ()
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 (). 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 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)
First Minister (1814–1873)
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 Term of office First Minister Term of officeGovernmentName(Birth–Death)PictureName(Birth–Death)PicturePeder Anker(1749–1824)18141822Frederik Gottschalk von Haxthausen (1750–1825)18141814Wedel IMarcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz (1762–1838)18141815Wedel IMathias Sommerhielm (1764–1827)18151822Wedel IMathias Sommerhielm(1764–1827)18221827Jonas Collett (1772–1851)18221836Wedel ISeverin Løvenskiold(1777–1856)18281841Nicolai Johan Lohmann Krog (1787–1856)18361855Wedel II Løvenskiold/VogtFrederik Gottschalck Haxthausen Due(1796–1873)18411858Jørgen Herman Vogt (1784–1862)18561858Løvenskiold/Vogt VogtGeorg Christian Sibbern(1816–1901)18581871Hans Christian Petersen (1793–1862)18581861Sibbern/Birch/MotzfeldtOtto Richard Kierulf(1825–1897)18711873Frederik Stang (1808–1884)18611873Frederik Stang
Prime Minister in Christiania (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, making it subordinate to the office in Christiania. In addition, a separate Prime Minister of Sweden was appointed from 1876 onwards.
Prime Minister in StockholmPrime Minister in ChristianiaTerm of officeCabinetName(Birth-Death) Picture Political partyName(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) 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(1816–1892) Liberal Party18841888 Sverdrup Hans Georg Jacob Stang(1830–1907) Liberal Party18881889 Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram(1846–1929) Conservative Party Emil Stang(1834–1912) Conservative Party 1889 1891 Stang I Otto Blehr(1847–1927) Liberal Party Johannes Steen(1827–1906) Liberal Party 1891 1893 Steen I Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram(1846–1929) Conservative Party Emil Stang(1834–1912) Conservative Party 1893 1895 Stang II Francis Hagerup(1853–1921) Conservative Party 1895 1898 Hagerup I Otto Blehr(1853–1921) Liberal Party Johannes Steen(1827–1906) Liberal Party 1898 1902 Steen II Ole Anton Qvam(1834–1904) Liberal Party Otto Blehr(1847–1927) Liberal Party 1902 1903 Blehr I Sigurd Ibsen(1859–1930) Liberal Party Francis Hagerup(1853–1921) Coalition Party 1903 1905 Hagerup II Jørgen Løvland(1848–1922) Liberal Party Christian Michelsen(1857–1925) Liberal Party 1905 1905 Michelsen
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)
Portrait Name Term of office Party Election Cabinet Monarch Took office Left office Time in office 1 Christian Michelsen(1857–1925) Liberal Party – MichelsenHaakon VII 1906 2 Jørgen Løvland(1848–1922) Liberal Party – Løvland 3 Gunnar Knudsen(1848–1928) Liberal Party – Knudsen I 1909 4 Wollert Konow(1845–1924) Free-minded Liberal Party – Konow 5 Jens Bratlie(1856–1939) Conservative Party – Bratlie 1912 (3) Gunnar Knudsen(1848–1928) Liberal Party – Knudsen II 1915 1918 6 Otto Bahr Halvorsen(1872–1923) Conservative Party – Bahr Halvorsen I 7 Otto Albert Blehr(1847–1927) Liberal Party – Blehr II 1921 (6) Otto Bahr Halvorsen(1872–1923) Conservative Party – Bahr Halvorsen II 8 Abraham Berge(1851–1936) Free-minded Liberal Party – Berge 9 Johan Ludwig Mowinckel(1870–1943) Liberal Party – Mowinckel I 1924 10 Ivar Lykke(1872–1949) Conservative Party – Lykke 1927 11 Christopher Hornsrud(1859–1960) Labour Party – Hornsrud (9) Johan Ludwig Mowinckel(1870–1943) Liberal Party – Mowinckel II 1930 12 Peder Kolstad(1878–1932) Agrarian Party – Kolstad 13 Jens Hundseid(1883–1965) Agrarian Party – Hundseid (9) Johan Ludwig Mowinckel(1870–1943) Liberal Party – Mowinckel III 1933 14 Johan Nygaardsvold(1879–1952) Labour Party – Nygaardsvold 1936
Heads of Government (1940–1945)
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.
Portrait Name Term of office Party Cabinet Took office Left office Time in office Vidkun Quisling(1887–1945)Disputed as Prime Minister National Unity Quisling I Ingolf Elster Christensen(1872–1943) Conservative Party Administrative Council Josef Terboven(1898–1945) Nazi Party Reichskommissariat Vidkun Quisling(1887–1945) National Unity Quisling II
Prime Ministers of Norway (1945–present)
Portrait Name Term of office Party Election Cabinet Monarch Took office Left office Time in office 15 Einar Gerhardsen(1897–1987) Labour Party — Gerhardsen IHaakon VII 1945 Gerhardsen II 1949 16 Oscar Torp(1893–1958) Labour Party 1953 Torp (15) Einar Gerhardsen(1897–1987) Labour Party — Gerhardsen III 1957 Olav V 1961 17 John Lyng(1905–1978) Conservative Party — Lyng (15) Einar Gerhardsen(1897–1987) Labour Party — Gerhardsen IV 18 Per Borten(1913–2005) Centre Party 1965 Borten 1969 19 Trygve Bratteli(1910–1984) Labour Party — Bratteli I 20 Lars Korvald(1916–2006) Christian Democratic Party — Korvald (19) Trygve Bratteli(1910–1984) Labour Party 1973 Bratteli II 21 Odvar Nordli(1927–2018) Labour Party — Nordli 1977 22 Gro Harlem Brundtland(born 1939) Labour Party — Brundtland I 23 Kåre Willoch(1928–2021) Conservative Party 1981 Willoch I 1985 Willoch II (22) Gro Harlem Brundtland(born 1939) Labour Party — Brundtland II 24 Jan Peder Syse(1930–1997) Conservative Party 1989 Syse (22) Gro Harlem Brundtland(born 1939) Labour Party — Brundtland IIIHarald V 1993 25 Thorbjørn Jagland(born 1950) Labour Party — Jagland 26 Kjell Magne Bondevik(born 1947) Christian Democratic Party 1997 Bondevik I 27 Jens Stoltenberg(born 1959) Labour Party — Stoltenberg I (26) Kjell Magne Bondevik(born 1947) Christian Democratic Party 2001 Bondevik II (27) Jens Stoltenberg(born 1959) Labour Party 2005 Stoltenberg II 2009 28 Erna Solberg(born 1961) Conservative Party 2013 Solberg 2017 Solberg — Solberg — Solberg 29 Jonas Gahr Støre(born 1960) Incumbent Labour Party 2021 Støre– — Støre 2025 StøreHaakon VIII
Timeline since 1905
See also List of Norwegian monarchs List of Norwegian governments
External links Norway's Prime Ministers – A pictorial with portraits of Norway's prime ministers (Aftenposten)