List of heads of government of Norway


This is a list of heads of government of Norway. In the modern era, the head of government has the title prime minister. At various times in the past, the highest governmental title has included steward, viceroy, and first minister
Until 1873, the king of the personal union between Sweden and Norway governed Norway through two cabinets: one in Stockholm and another in Christiania. 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. 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, 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, meaning Lieutenant of the realm, 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)

In 1873, the position of First Minister was upgraded to Prime Minister.

Prime Ministers of Norway (1814–1905)

Prime Ministers (1814–1873)

Name
PictureTook officeLeft officePolitical partyTerm
Peder Anker
18141822N/A1
Mathias Otto Leth Sommerhielm
18221827N/A2
Severin Løvenskiold
18281841N/A3
Frederik Gottschalck Haxthausen Due
18411858N/A4
Georg Christian Sibbern
18581871N/A5
Otto Richard Kierulf
18711873N/A6

Split Prime Ministership (1873–1905)

Prime Minister in Stockholm

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Prime Minister in Christiania

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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)

Name
PictureTook OfficeLeft OfficePolitical PartyCabinetMonarchs of Kingdom of Norway
Christian Michelsen
11 03 190523 10 1907Liberal PartyMichelsen
V–H–MV		Haakon VII
Jørgen Løvland
23 10 190719 03 1908Liberal PartyLøvland
V–MV		Haakon VII
Gunnar Knudsen
19 03 190802 02 1910Liberal PartyKnudsen I
V		Haakon VII
Wollert Konow
02 02 191020 02 1912Free-minded Liberal PartyKonow
H–FV		Haakon VII
Jens Bratlie
20 02 191231 01 1913Conservative PartyBratlie
H–FV		Haakon VII
Gunnar Knudsen
31 01 191321 06 1920Liberal PartyKnudsen II
V		Haakon VII
Otto Bahr Halvorsen
21 06 192022 06 1921Conservative PartyBahr Halvorsen I
H–FV		Haakon VII
Otto Albert Blehr
22 06 192106 03 1923Liberal PartyBlehr II
V		Haakon VII
Otto Bahr Halvorsen
06 03 192323 05 1923Conservative PartyBahr Halvorsen II
H–FV		Haakon VII
Abraham Berge
30 05 192325 07 1924Free-minded Liberal PartyBerge
H–FV		Haakon VII
Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
25 07 192405 03 1926Liberal PartyMowinckel I
V		Haakon VII
Ivar Lykke
05 03 192628 01 1928Conservative PartyLykke
H–FV		Haakon VII
Christopher Hornsrud
28 01 192815 02 1928Labour PartyHornsrud
Ap		Haakon VII
Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
15 02 192812 05 1931Liberal PartyMowinckel II
V		Haakon VII
Peder Kolstad
12 05 193105 03 1932Agrarian PartyKolstad
B		Haakon VII
Jens Hundseid
14 03 193203 03 1933Agrarian PartyHundseid
B		Haakon VII
Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
03 03 193320 03 1935Liberal PartyMowinckel III
V		Haakon VII
Johan Nygaardsvold
20 03 1935
25 06 1945Labour PartyNygaardsvold
Ap		Haakon VII

Heads of Government (1940–1945)

Governments sanction by Nazi-Germany during the occupation of Norway.
Nygaardsvolds exile government is recognized as the elected government during the occupation.
Name
PictureTook OfficeLeft OfficePolitical PartyCabinet
Vidkun Quisling
09 04 1940 15 04 1940National UnityQuisling I
NS
Ingolf Elster Christensen

as Chairman of the Administrative Council		15 04 194025 09 1940Conservative PartyAdministrative Council
Josef Terboven

as Reichskommissar		25 09 194001 02 1942Member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, but serving as a German civil servant rather than in a political roleReichskommissariat
NSDAP
Vidkun Quisling

as Minister President		01 02 194209 05 1945National UnityQuisling II
NS

Prime Ministers of Norway (1945–present)

Name
PictureElectedTook OfficeLeft OfficePolitical PartyCabinetMonarchs of Kingdom of Norway
Einar Gerhardsen
—25 06 194519 11 1951Labour PartyGerhardsen I
Ap–H–Sp–V–NKP		Haakon VII
Einar Gerhardsen
1945
1949		25 06 194519 11 1951Labour PartyGerhardsen II
Ap		Haakon VII
Oscar Torp
195319 11 195122 01 1955Labour PartyTorp
Ap		Haakon VII
Einar Gerhardsen
1957
1961		22 01 195528 08 1963Labour PartyGerhardsen III
Ap		Olav V
John Lyng
—28 08 196325 09 1963Conservative PartyLyng
H–Sp–KrF–V		Olav V
Einar Gerhardsen
—25 09 196312 10 1965Labour PartyGerhardsen IV
Ap		Olav V
Per Borten
1965
1969		12 10 196517 03 1971Centre PartyBorten
Sp–H–KrF–V		Olav V
Trygve Bratteli
—17 03 197118 10 1972Labour PartyBratteli I
Ap		Olav V
Lars Korvald
—18 10 197216 10 1973Christian Democratic PartyKorvald
KrF–Sp–V		Olav V
Trygve Bratteli
197316 10 197315 01 1976Labour PartyBratteli II
Ap		Olav V
Odvar Nordli
197715 01 197604 02 1981Labour PartyNordli
Ap		Olav V
Gro Harlem Brundtland
—04 02 198114 10 1981Labour PartyBrundtland I
Ap		Olav V
Kåre Willoch
198114 10 198109 05 1986Conservative PartyWilloch I
H		Olav V
Kåre Willoch
198514 10 198109 05 1986Conservative PartyWilloch II
H–KrF–Sp		Olav V
Gro Harlem Brundtland
—09 05 198616 10 1989Labour PartyBrundtland II
Ap		Olav V
Jan Peder Syse
198916 10 198903 11 1990Conservative PartySyse
H–KrF–Sp		Olav V
Gro Harlem Brundtland
199303 11 199025 10 1996Labour PartyBrundtland III
Ap		Harald V
Thorbjørn Jagland
—25 10 199617 10 1997Labour PartyJagland
Ap		Harald V
Kjell Magne Bondevik
199717 10 199717 03 2000Christian Democratic PartyBondevik I
KrF–Sp–V		Harald V
Jens Stoltenberg
—17 03 200019 10 2001Labour PartyStoltenberg I
Ap		Harald V
Kjell Magne Bondevik
200119 10 200117 10 2005Christian Democratic PartyBondevik II
KrF–H–V		Harald V
Jens Stoltenberg
2005
2009		17 10 200516 October 2013Labour PartyStoltenberg II
Ap–SV–Sp		Harald V
Erna Solberg
201316 October 201317 January 2018Conservative PartySolberg I
H–FrP		Harald V
Erna Solberg
201717 January 201822 January 2019Conservative PartySolberg II
H–FrP–V		Harald V
Erna Solberg
—22 January 201924 January 2020Conservative PartySolberg III
H–FrP–V-KrF		Harald V
Erna Solberg
—24 January 2020IncumbentConservative PartySolberg IV
H–V–KrF		Harald V

Timeline