Norway's Prime Minister

1814 -

The Norwegian Constitution of 4 November 1814 introduced the title “statsminister” (literally “minister of state”, while translated into English as “prime minister”) for the presiding member of the Government, according to Swedish practice.

However, at this time there were as many as three members of the Swedish Council of State holding the title of “statsminister”. These were the “statsminister” who was presiding councillor of state (i.e. the prime minister), the "statsminister" of justice (from 1876 termed Councillor of State and chief of the Ministry of Justice) and the "statsminister” of foreign affairs (from 1876 termed Minister of Foreign Affairs).

By the fact that the title “statsminister” in Norway was linked only to the senior minister, "statsminister" was here now established as title for the office which in other countries is termed prime minister, “premier ministre”, “Ministerpresident” or “president du conseil”.

Between 1814 and 1873 Norway’s Prime Minister was permanently based at the Norwegian Council of State Division in Stockholm, as this was where the King of the two states resided. When the office of the King's Governor-General in Christiania (Oslo) in 1873 was converted into an office of prime minister, the role as Norway's Prime Minister was transferred to this new office. The Norwegian Prime Minister in Stockholm now became second in rank after the Prime Minister in Christiania.

The system with a Norwegian prime minister and a council of state division in Stockholm ceased to exist when the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved in 1905.

 

18 November 1814 -

Prime Minister 1814 - 1905
1814-1822: Peder Anker
1822-1827: Mathias Sommerhielm
1827          : Poul Christiand Holst (acting)
1827-1828: Jørgen Vogt (acting)
1828-1836: Severin Løvenskiold
1836-1841: Severin Løvenskiold
1841-1858: Frederik Due
1858-         : Georg Sibbern
1858-1859: Christian Bretteville (acting) 
         -1861: Georg Sibbern
1861          : Christian Bretteville (acting)
1861-1871: Georg Sibbern
1871-1873: Otto Richard Kierulf
                    (Norwegian Prime Minister in Stockholm 1873-1884)
1873-1880: Frederik Stang
1880          : Christian Selmer (acting)
1880-1884: Christian Selmer
1884          : Ole Bachke (acting)
1884          : Niels Rye (acting)
1884          : Christian Schweigaard
1884-1889: Johan Sverdrup
1889-1891: Emil Stang
1891-1893: Johannes Steen
1893-1895: Emil Stang
1895-1898: Francis Hagerup
1898-1902: Johannes Steen
1902-1903: Otto Blehr
1903-1905: Francis Hagerup

Prime Minister 1905 - 1945
1905-         : Christian Michelsen
1905          : Sofus Arctander (acting) 
         -1907: Christian Michelsen
1907-1908: Jørgen Løvland
1908-1910: Gunnar Knudsen
1910-1912: Wollert Konow (S.B.) 
1912-1913: Jens Bratlie
1913-1920: Gunnar Knudsen
1920-1912: Otto B. Halvorsen
1921-1923: Otto Blehr
1923          : Otto B. Halvorsen
1923          : Christian Michelet (acting)
1923-1924: Abraham Berge
1924-1926: Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
1926-1928: Ivar Lykke
1928          : Christopher Hornsrud
1928-1931: Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
1931-1932: Peder Kolstad
1932          : Birger Braadland (acting)
1932          : Nils Trædal (acting)
1932          : Birger Braadland (acting)
1932-1933: Jens Hundseid
1933-1935: Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
1935-         : Johan Nygaardsvold
1942          : Trygve Lie (acting in London)
1945          : Oscar Torp (acting in Oslo)

Prime Minister 1945-
         -1945: Johan Nygaardsvold
1945          : Einar Gerhardsen
1945-1951: Einar Gerhardsen
1951-1955: Oscar Torp
1955-1963: Einar Gerhardsen
1963          : John Lyng
1963-1965: Einar Gerhardsen
1965-1971: Per Borten
1971-1972: Trygve Bratteli
1972-1973: Lars Korvald
1973-1976: Trygve Bratteli
1976-1981: Odvar Nordli
1981          : Gro Harlem Brundtland
1981-1986: Kåre Willoch
1984          : Svenn Stray (acting)
1986-1989: Gro Harlem Brundtland
1989-1990: Jan P. Syse
1990-1996: Gro Harlem Brundtland
1996-1997: Thorbjørn Jagland
1997-         : Kjell Magne Bondevik
1998          : Anne Enger Lahnstein (acting) 
         -2000: Kjell Magne Bondevik
2000-2001: Jens Stoltenberg
2001-2005: Kjell Magne Bondevik
2005-2013: Jens Stoltenberg
2013-2021: Erna Solberg
2021- :        Jonas Gahr Støre