List of heads of government of Norway facts for kids

Norway's government has always had a leader, but their title and role have changed over time! Today, this leader is called the Prime Minister (or Statsminister in Norwegian). In the past, other important titles included steward, viceroy, and first minister.

Before 1873, Norway was in a union with Sweden. The Swedish King ruled Norway through two main offices. One office was in Stockholm, Sweden, and the other was in Christiania (which is now Oslo). The Stockholm office had a prime minister and two other ministers. Their job was to tell the Swedish King what the Christiania government thought.

The Christiania office was usually led by a steward. Sometimes, the King's son (the crown prince) was made viceroy in Christiania, and he would be the top leader there. But if the King himself was in Christiania, he took charge, and the steward or viceroy would step aside temporarily. If no steward, viceroy, or King was present, the first minister led the Christiania government.

In July 1873, the position of steward was removed. At the same time, the First Minister in Christiania became the Prime Minister of Norway. Even though there was still a Norwegian Prime Minister in Stockholm, the real power moved to the Prime Minister in Christiania. The Stockholm prime minister's job became mainly to tell the King what the Christiania government was doing. When Norway and Sweden separated in 1905, the Stockholm prime minister's job was ended.

Stewards of Norway

The Steward of Norway (called Rigsstatholder in Danish) was like the King's representative in Norway when the King wasn't there. This was during the time when Denmark and Norway were united. Norway was its own kingdom with its own laws, so the Steward was a very powerful person, second only to the King himself!

Norway's Early Prime Ministers (1814–1905)

First Ministers and Prime Ministers in a Divided System (1814–1873)

Before 1884, Norway didn't have organized political parties like today. The people who became prime ministers were usually important government officials. The King chose them, and they didn't need approval from the parliament. These early leaders often didn't agree with big changes suggested by the parliament.

During this time, the government was a bit complicated. There was a Prime Minister in Stockholm (who was closer to the King) and a First Minister in Christiania (who was the main leader in Norway).

• Peder Anker was the Prime Minister in Stockholm from 1814 to 1822. During his time, the First Ministers in Christiania were Frederik Gottschalk von Haxthausen, Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz, and Mathias Sommerhielm.
• Mathias Sommerhielm continued as Prime Minister in Stockholm until 1827. Jonas Collett was the First Minister in Christiania for a long time, from 1822 to 1836.
• Severin Løvenskiold was Prime Minister in Stockholm from 1828 to 1841. During his time, Nicolai Johan Lohmann Krog was First Minister in Christiania (1836–1855).
• Frederik Gottschalck Haxthausen Due served as Prime Minister in Stockholm from 1841 to 1858. Jørgen Herman Vogt was First Minister in Christiania from 1856 to 1858.
• Georg Christian Sibbern was Prime Minister in Stockholm from 1858 to 1871, with Hans Christian Petersen (1858–1861) and Frederik Stang (1861–1873) as First Ministers in Christiania.
• Otto Richard Kierulf was the last Prime Minister in Stockholm under this system, from 1871 to 1873. Frederik Stang continued as First Minister in Christiania until 1873.

Prime Ministers in Christiania (1873–1905)

In 1873, the First Minister's job in Christiania became the main Prime Minister role. The Prime Minister in Stockholm still existed, but their main task was to tell the King what the Christiania government wanted. This meant the Christiania Prime Minister had the real power.

Here are some of the key Prime Ministers during this period:

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

• Frederik Stang (no party) was the first Prime Minister in Christiania from 1873 to 1880. Otto Richard Kierulf (no party) was the Prime Minister in Stockholm during this time.
• Christian August Selmer (Conservative Party) became Prime Minister in Christiania in 1880 and served until 1884. Otto Richard Kierulf continued in Stockholm.
• Christian Homann Schweigaard (Conservative Party) was Prime Minister in Christiania briefly in 1884, while Carl Otto Løvenskiold (no party) was in Stockholm.
• Johan Sverdrup (Liberal Party) was a very important Prime Minister from 1884 to 1889. He led the first government with a clear political party. Ole Jørgensen Richter and Hans Georg Jacob Stang (both Liberal Party) were in Stockholm during his time.
• Emil Stang (Conservative Party) led two governments: 1889–1891 and 1893–1895. Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram (Conservative Party) was in Stockholm.
• Johannes Steen (Liberal Party) also led two governments: 1891–1893 and 1898–1902. Otto Blehr (Liberal Party) was in Stockholm during his first term, and Otto Blehr (Liberal Party) was in Stockholm during his second term.
• Otto Blehr (Liberal Party) became Prime Minister in Christiania from 1902 to 1903, with Ole Anton Qvam (Liberal Party) in Stockholm.
• Francis Hagerup (Coalition Party) led a government from 1903 to 1905. Sigurd Ibsen (Liberal Party) was in Stockholm.
• Christian Michelsen (Liberal Party) was the last Prime Minister in Christiania before the union ended, serving in 1905. Jørgen Løvland (Liberal Party) was in Stockholm.

Prime Ministers of Norway (1905–present)

After Norway and Sweden separated in 1905, the Prime Minister's office has always been in Oslo. The only exception was during World War II, when the Norwegian government had to go to London because Nazi Germany occupied Norway.

Prime Ministers of Norway (1905–1940)

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

No.	Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Party		Election	Cabinet coalition	Monarch (reign)
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Christian Michelsen (1857–1925)	11 March 1905	23 October 1907	2 years, 226 days		Liberal Party	1906	Michelsen V–H–MV	Haakon VII (1905–1957)
2		Jørgen Løvland (1848–1922)	23 October 1907	19 March 1908	148 days		Liberal Party	–	Løvland V–MV
3		Gunnar Knudsen (1848–1928)	19 March 1908	2 February 1910	1 year, 320 days		Liberal Party	1909	Knudsen I V
4		Wollert Konow (1845–1924)	2 February 1910	20 February 1912	2 years, 18 days		Free-minded Liberal Party	–	Konow H–FV
5		Jens Bratlie (1856–1939)	20 February 1912	31 January 1913	346 days		Conservative Party	1912	Bratlie H–FV
(3)		Gunnar Knudsen (1848–1928)	31 January 1913	21 June 1920	7 years, 142 days		Liberal Party	1915 1918	Knudsen II V
6		Otto Bahr Halvorsen (1872–1923)	21 June 1920	22 June 1921	1 year, 1 day		Conservative Party	–	Bahr Halvorsen I H–FV
7		Otto Albert Blehr (1847–1927)	22 June 1921	6 March 1923	1 year, 257 days		Liberal Party	1921	Blehr II V
(6)		Otto Bahr Halvorsen (1872–1923)	6 March 1923	23 May 1923	78 days		Conservative Party	–	Bahr Halvorsen II H–FV
8		Abraham Berge (1851–1936)	30 May 1923	25 July 1924	1 year, 56 days		Free-minded Liberal Party	–	Berge H–FV
9		Johan Ludwig Mowinckel (1870–1943)	25 July 1924	5 March 1926	1 year, 223 days		Liberal Party	1924	Mowinckel I V
10		Ivar Lykke (1872–1949)	5 March 1926	28 January 1928	1 year, 329 days		Conservative Party	1927	Lykke H–FV
11		Christopher Hornsrud (1859–1960)	28 January 1928	15 February 1928	18 days		Labour Party	–	Hornsrud Ap
(9)		Johan Ludwig Mowinckel (1870–1943)	15 February 1928	12 May 1931	3 years, 86 days		Liberal Party	1930	Mowinckel II V
12		Peder Kolstad (1878–1932)	12 May 1931	5 March 1932	298 days		Agrarian Party	–	Kolstad B
13		Jens Hundseid (1883–1965)	14 March 1932	3 March 1933	354 days		Agrarian Party	–	Hundseid B
(9)		Johan Ludwig Mowinckel (1870–1943)	3 March 1933	20 March 1935	2 years, 17 days		Liberal Party	1933	Mowinckel III V
14		Johan Nygaardsvold (1879–1952)	20 March 1935 in exile from 1940	25 June 1945	10 years, 97 days		Labour Party	1936	Nygaardsvold Ap

Leaders During World War II (1940–1945)

During the German occupation of Norway in World War II, there were different leaders. However, the government led by Johan Nygaardsvold (1935–1945) was still seen as the official government, even though they were in exile in London.

      National Unity (Nasjonal Samling)       Conservative Party (Høyre)       German Nazi Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei)

Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Party		Cabinet coalition
		Took office	Left office	Time in office
	Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945) (took power by force)	9 April 1940	15 April 1940	6 days		National Unity	Quisling I NS
	Ingolf Elster Christensen (1872–1943) as Chairman of the Administrative Council	15 April 1940	25 September 1940	163 days		Conservative Party	Administrative Council
	Josef Terboven (1898–1945) as Reichskommissar (German leader)	25 September 1940	1 February 1942	1 year, 129 days		Nazi Party	Reichskommissariat NSDAP
	Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945) as Minister President	1 February 1942	9 May 1945	3 years, 97 days		National Unity	Quisling II NS

Prime Ministers of Norway (1945–present)

After World War II, Norway returned to its democratic system with elected Prime Ministers.

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

No.	Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Party		Election	Cabinet coalition	Monarch (reign)
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
15		Einar Gerhardsen (1897–1987)	25 June 1945	19 November 1951	6 years, 147 days		Labour Party	—	Gerhardsen I Ap–H–Sp–V–NKP	Haakon VII (1905–1957)
								1945 1949	Gerhardsen II Ap
16		Oscar Torp (1893–1958)	19 November 1951	22 January 1955	3 years, 64 days		Labour Party	1953	Torp Ap
(15)		Einar Gerhardsen (1897–1987)	22 January 1955	28 August 1963	8 years, 218 days		Labour Party	1957 1961	Gerhardsen III Ap	Olav V (1957–1991)
17		John Lyng (1905–1978)	28 August 1963	25 September 1963	28 days		Conservative Party	—	Lyng H–Sp–KrF–V
(15)		Einar Gerhardsen (1897–1987)	25 September 1963	12 October 1965	2 years, 17 days		Labour Party	—	Gerhardsen IV Ap
18		Per Borten (1913–2005)	12 October 1965	17 March 1971	5 years, 156 days		Centre Party	1965 1969	Borten Sp–H–KrF–V
19		Trygve Bratteli (1910–1984)	17 March 1971	18 October 1972	1 year, 215 days		Labour Party	—	Bratteli I Ap
20		Lars Korvald (1916–2006)	18 October 1972	16 October 1973	363 days		Christian Democratic Party	—	Korvald KrF–Sp–V
(19)		Trygve Bratteli (1910–1984)	16 October 1973	15 January 1976	2 years, 91 days		Labour Party	1973	Bratteli II Ap
21		Odvar Nordli (1927–2018)	15 January 1976	4 February 1981	5 years, 20 days		Labour Party	1977	Nordli Ap
22		Gro Harlem Brundtland (born 1939)	4 February 1981	14 October 1981	252 days		Labour Party	—	Brundtland I Ap
23		Kåre Willoch (1928–2021)	14 October 1981	9 May 1986	4 years, 207 days		Conservative Party	1981	Willoch I H
								1985	Willoch II H–KrF–Sp
(22)		Gro Harlem Brundtland (born 1939)	9 May 1986	16 October 1989	3 years, 160 days		Labour Party	—	Brundtland II Ap
24		Jan Peder Syse (1930–1997)	16 October 1989	3 November 1990	1 year, 18 days		Conservative Party	1989	Syse H–KrF–Sp
(22)		Gro Harlem Brundtland (born 1939)	3 November 1990	25 October 1996	5 years, 357 days		Labour Party	1993	Brundtland III Ap	Harald V (1991–present)
25		Thorbjørn Jagland (born 1950)	25 October 1996	17 October 1997	357 days		Labour Party	—	Jagland Ap
26		Kjell Magne Bondevik (born 1947)	17 October 1997	17 March 2000	2 years, 152 days		Christian Democratic Party	1997	Bondevik I KrF–Sp–V
27		Jens Stoltenberg (born 1959)	17 March 2000	19 October 2001	1 year, 216 days		Labour Party	—	Stoltenberg I Ap
(26)		Kjell Magne Bondevik (born 1947)	19 October 2001	17 October 2005	3 years, 363 days		Christian Democratic Party	2001	Bondevik II KrF–H–V
(27)		Jens Stoltenberg (born 1959)	17 October 2005	16 October 2013	7 years, 364 days		Labour Party	2005 2009	Stoltenberg II Ap–SV–Sp
28		Erna Solberg (born 1961)	16 October 2013	14 October 2021	7 years, 363 days		Conservative Party	2013	Solberg I H–FrP
								2017	Solberg II H–FrP–V
								—	Solberg III H–FrP–V-KrF
								—	Solberg IV H–V–KrF
29		Jonas Gahr Støre (born 1960)	14 October 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 264 days		Labour Party	2021	Støre Ap–Sp

See also

• List of Norwegian monarchs
• List of Norwegian governments