List of heads of government of Norway
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Constitution |
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This is a list of heads of government of Norway. In the modern era, the head of government has the title prime minister (statsminister). At various times in the past, the highest governmental title has included steward (rigsstatholder), viceroy (vicekonge), and first minister (førstestatsraad)
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 (rigsstatholder). 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 Rigsstatholder in Danish (riksstattholder in modern Norwegian spelling), meaning Lieutenant of the realm (see Steward (office)), 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.
Stewards of Norway (1536–1814)
- Peder Hansen Litle (1536–1551)
- Jesper Friis (1551–1556)
- Christen Munk (1556–1572)
- Pouel Ottesen Huitfeldt (1572–1577)
- Ludvig Ludvigsson Munk til Norlund (9 July 1577 – 1583)
- Ove Juel (1583–1588)
- Aksel Gyldenstjerne (1588–1601)
- Jørgen Friis til Krastrup (1601–1608)
- Enevold Kruse til Hjermislov (1608–1618)
- Jens Hermansson Juel (1618–1629)
- Christopher Knudsson Urne til Asmark (1629–1642)
- Hannibal Sehested (1642–24 June 1651)
- Gregers Krabbe (1651–20 December 1655)
- Niels Trolle til Trollesholm og Gavnø (1656–28 March 1661)
- Iver Tageson Krabbe (8 Oct 1661 – 1664)
- Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, greve til Laurvig og Tønsberg (Jan 1664–1699)
- Ove Juel (Vice Governor-general of Norway under Gyldenløve) (1669 – 5 June 1675)
- Jens Juel (Vice Governor-general of Norway under Gyldenløve) (5 June 1675 – 9 May 1682)
- Just Högh til Fultofte (Vice Governor-general of Norway under Gyldenløve) (9 May 1682 – 26 September 1694)
- Frederik Gabel (30 September 1699 – 1708)
- Johan Vibe (10 April 1708 – 22 Feb 1710)
- Ulrik Frederik Valdemar, baron Løvendal (1 Aug 1710 – 30 April 1712)
- Claus Henrik Vieregg (4 August 1712 – 14 July 1713)
- Frederik Krag (19 September 1713 – 1722)
- Ditlev Vibe (17 April 1722 – 5 October 1731)
- Patroclus Rømeling (acting) 1731–1733
- Christian greve Rantzau (1733–1739)
- Hans Jakob Arnold (acting) (1739 – 11 Sep 1750)
- Jacob von Benzon (11 September 1750 – 8 February 1771)
- Carl, Landgraf zu Hessen (4 July 1766 – January 1768) (acting for Benzon)
- 8 Feb 1771 – 25 July 1809 Vacant
- Christian August von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg 25 July 1809 – 11 Jan 1810
- Friedrich Landgraf zu Hessen-Kassel 11 Jan 1810 – 11 May 1813
- Christian Frederik af Danmark (11 May 1813 – 16 Feb 1814)
In 1873, the position of First Minister was upgraded to Prime Minister.
Prime Ministers of Norway (1814–1905)
Prime Ministers (1814–1873)
- Prior to 1884, there were no organised political parties in Norway, and 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. They were subordinate to the Steward, Viceroy and First Minister of Norway.
# | Name (Birth–Death) |
Picture | Took office | Left office | Political party | Term |
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1 | Peder Anker (1749–1824) |
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1814 | 1822 | N/A | 1 |
2 | Mathias Sommerhielm (1764–1827) |
File:Sommerhielm2.jpg | 1822 | 1827 | N/A | 2 |
3 | Severin Løvenskiold (1777–1856) |
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1828 | 1841 | N/A | 3 |
4 | Frederik Due (1796–1873) |
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1841 | 1858 | N/A | 4 |
5 | Georg Sibbern (1816–1901) |
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1858 | 1871 | N/A | 5 |
6 | Otto Richard Kierulf (1825–1897) |
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1871 | 1873 | N/A | 6 |
Split Prime Ministership (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. In addition, a Prime Minister of Sweden was appointed from 1876 onwards.
Liberal Party of Norway (Venstre) Conservative Party (Høyre) Coalition Party (Samlingspartiet)
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)
Liberal Party of Norway (Venstre) Free-minded Liberal Party (Frisinnede Venstre) Conservative Party (Høyre) Norwegian Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) Agrarian Party (Bondepartiet)
Heads of Government (1940–1945)
National Unity (Nasjonal Samling) Conservative Party (Høyre) German Nazi Party
# | Name (Birth-Death) |
Picture | Took Office | Left Office | Political Party | Cabinet |
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Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945) |
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9 April 1940 (committed a coup d'état) | 15 April 1940 | National Unity | Quisling I NS | |
style="background:Template:Conservative Party of Norway/meta/color;" | | Ingolf Elster Christensen (1872–1943) as Chairman of the Administrative Council |
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15 April 1940 | 25 September 1940 | Conservative Party | Administrative Council |
style="background:Template:Nazi Party/meta/color; color:white;" | | Josef Terboven (1898–1945) as Reichskommissar |
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25 September 1940 | 1 February 1942 | Member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, but serving as a German civil servant rather than in a political role | Reichskommissariat NSDAP |
Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945) as Minister President |
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1 February 1942 | 9 May 1945 | National Unity | Quisling II NS |
Prime Ministers of Norway (1945–present)
Norwegian Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) Conservative Party (Høyre) Centre Party (Senterpartiet) Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)
Timeline
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/7gkjylhrpb1e1of5uc1v8pkd89cmzte.png)
See also
External links
- Norway's Prime Ministers — A pictorial with portraits of Norway's Prime Ministers (Aftenposten)