Per Borten facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Per Borten
Borten in 1964.
25th Prime Minister of Norway
In office 12 October 1965 – 17 March 1971
Monarch	Olav V
Preceded by	Einar Gerhardsen
Succeeded by	Trygve Bratteli
Member of the Norwegian Parliament
In office 1 January 1950 – 30 September 1977
Constituency	Sør-Trøndelag
President of the Odelsting
In office 9 October 1973 – 30 September 1977
Vice President	Aase Lionæs
Preceded by	Håkon Johnsen
Succeeded by	Asbjørn Haugstvedt
In office 6 October 1961 – 30 September 1965
Vice President	Jakob Martin Pettersen
Preceded by	Alv Kjøs
Succeeded by	Nils Hønsvald
Personal details
Born	(1913-04-03)3 April 1913 Flå, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway
Died	20 January 2005(2005-01-20) (aged 91) Trondheim, Norway
Political party	Centre
Spouse	Magnhild Borten (1922–2006)
Children	Kari Borten
Signature

Per Borten (born April 3, 1913 – died January 20, 2005) was a Norwegian politician. He was the 25th Prime Minister of Norway from 1965 to 1971. Borten was a member of the Centre Party. He helped change his party from the "Agrarian Party" (meaning "farmers' party") into the modern Centre Party. He was also strongly against Norway joining the European Union.

Per Borten: Norway's Leader

Early Life and First Steps in Politics

Per Borten was born in a place called Flå, which is in the municipality of Melhus in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. He studied farming at the Norwegian College of Agriculture and finished in 1939.

His political journey began when he became the mayor of his hometown, Flå. He served as mayor from 1945 to 1955. In 1949, he was elected to the Storting, which is the Norwegian parliament. He stayed in parliament until he retired in 1977. Borten was also the President of the Odelsting, a part of the parliament, from 1961 to 1965 and again from 1973 to 1977.

Leading Norway: Prime Minister Borten

Per Borten became the leader of his party in parliament. He was also the chairman of the Centre Party from 1955 to 1967. In 1965, he became the Prime Minister of Norway. He led a government made up of four different parties. This government worked together until March 17, 1971.

Borten resigned as Prime Minister because it became known that he had shared some information about Norway's talks to join the European Economic Community (EEC). He had shown this information to people who were against Norway joining the EEC.

Important Changes Under Borten's Leadership

During Per Borten's time as Prime Minister, many important changes happened in Norway. These changes helped improve life for many people:

• Retirement Money: In 1966, a new system for pensions was started. This meant that the amount of money people received when they retired was based on how much they had earned during their working lives.
• Housing Help: A law passed in 1969 helped people get loans from the Housing Bank. These loans were for improving and fixing up old homes.
• Extra Support: In 1969, a special payment was introduced for people who were not getting full retirement benefits. Another payment was added later that year to help people with a new tax called value-added tax (VAT).
• Better Schools: A new law in 1969 created a 9-year comprehensive schooling system for all children. This meant everyone would go to school for nine years.
• Family Support: Also in 1969, family allowances were expanded. This meant families received money for their first child under 16. Single-parent families also received extra support.

Life After Being Prime Minister

After he retired from politics, Per Borten continued to share his opinions on important topics. He spoke about things like getting rid of nuclear weapons and how Norway should relate to the European Union. He also served on the boards of several public banking organizations. People saw him as an interesting and sometimes surprising figure in Norwegian politics.

Fun Stories About Per Borten

Per Borten was known for being down-to-earth. In 1969, when he was Prime Minister, a newspaper called Dagbladet interviewed him at his farm. He did the interview wearing only shoes, a hat, and swimming trunks! This happened just a few days before Queen Elizabeth II visited his farm. A picture of Borten in his underwear was printed around the world. A British newspaper even printed it with the headline: "Now the Norwegian Prime Minister is ready to receive the Queen."

Another popular story is about a dinner with his Defence Minister, Otto Grieg Tidemand. After dinner, Tidemand offered his guests a very fine brandy. Without hesitating, Borten poured the brandy into his coffee. He was making a traditional Norwegian drink called karsk.

Per Borten passed away at St. Olav's Hospital in Trondheim when he was 91 years old. He was buried at Flå Church in Melhus. His wife, Magnhild, died in 2006.