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    Norway's Governments 1814 -

    Office of the Prime Minister (1939–)

    Established: 2. October 1939

    The Office of the Prime Minister assists the Prime Minister in leading and coordinating the work of the Norwegian Government.

    The Office of the Prime Minister was established on 2 October 1939. The outbreak of war in Europe made it necessary to relieve the Prime Minister from being head of a government ministry. The plan was to merge the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of State Secretariat. Nazi Germany’s attack on Norway on 9 April 1940 halted this.

    During the Government’s exile in London in the Second World War 1940-1945 and in Oslo after 1945, the Office of the Prime Minister grew to a secretariat with temporary posts. The Council of State Secretariat continued as secretariat for constitutional affairs.

    On 1 January 1956, the Office of the Prime Minister was given permanent political and administrative posts.

    On 1 July 1969, the Council of State Secretariat was abolished and its affairs transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister.

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    The office as prime minister was introduced in Norway after the Storting on 4 November 1814 approved the union with Sweden. From now the Prime Minister had various secretariats. Until 1873 he was head of the Norwegain Council of State Division in Stockholm, with the Norwegian State Secretariat Chancery there as his secretariat. In Christiania (Oslo) government work was led by the Swedish-Norwegian King’s Governor-General and the First Minister.

    On 4 July 1829, a post as Secretary to the President of the Norwegian Government was established in Christiania, assisting the Governor-General and the First Minister.

    On 5 June 1873, the office as Governor-General in Christiania was abolished. On 21 July 1873, the responsibility as Norway’s Prime Minister was transferred from the office as Prime Minister in Stockholm to a new office as Prime Minister in Christiania. This office was now assisted by the State Secretariat and the Secretary to the President of the Norwegian Government. The office as Norwegian Prime Minister in Stockholm was now ranked after Norway’s Prime Minister in Christiania.

    On 7 June 1905, the Storting declared the union with Sweden to be dissolved. The Council of State Division in Stockholm was abolished. In 1906, the post as Secretary to the Prime Minister was also abolished. The Prime Minister was now assisted by the State Secretariat and a civil servant in the ministry he was leading.

    On 1 January 1926, the State Secretariat had its name changed to the Council of State Secretariat.

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