List of famous politicians from Norway, listed alphabetically with photos when available. This list of popular Norwegian politicians includes members of the government who are either active or inactive, some of who might even now be dead. These are some of the most well-known Norwegian politicians of all time, so if you're a native of Norway and want to work for your country then these are the people you should look up to. If you're searching for a particular politician from Norway, then use the "search" box to find who you're looking for.
List ranges from Hege Nerland to Rolf Schjerven and more.
You can click on the names of these renowned politicians of Norway in order to get more information about each one.
Beate Heieren Hundhammer
Age: 55Beate Heieren Hundhammer (born 24 September 1968 in Oslo) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Buskerud in 2001, but was not re-elected in 2005. She served in the position of deputy representative during the terms 1993–1997, 1997–2001 and 2005–2009.Bendiks H. Arnesen
Age: 72Bendiks Harald Arnesen (born 9 June 1951 in Kvæfjord) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Troms in 1997, and has been re-elected on two occasions. He had previously served as a deputy representative during the terms 1989–1993 and 1993–1997. On the local level he was a member of Kvæfjord from 1971 to 1975 and 1979 to 1995, serving as deputy mayor in 1983–1985 and mayor from 1986 to 1995. He chaired the municipal party chapter from 1980 to 1986 and the county chapter from 1990 to 1992. He was a member of the Labour Party national board from 1991 to 1992. He does not have higher education, but mainly worked on a boat before entering national politics.Bent Hegna
Age: 64Bent Hegna (born 10 June 1959 in Oslo) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Telemark in 1993, and was re-elected on one occasion. On the local level Hegna was a member of Porsgrunn city council from 1991 to 1993.Bente Elin Lilleøkseth
Age: 49Bente Elin Lilleøkseth (born 25 September 1974) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Hedmark during the term 2001–2005. On the local level, Lilleøkseth is the mayor of Løten since 2007. She was first elected to the municipality council in 1999.Bente Thorsen
Age: 65Bente Thorsen (born 31 October 1958 in Karmøy) is a Norwegian politician representing the Progress Party. She has been a member of the Storting since following the 2009 parliamentary election as Rogaland's 12th representative. She was a deputy representative between 2005 and 2009.Prior to her election to parliament, Thorsen was a member of the Karmøy municipality council from 1987, and also a member of the formannskap between 1995 and 2009. She has been a member of the Rogaland county council between 1991 and 1995, and again between 1999 and 2003.Ahead of the 2009 election, Thorsen was nominated as the Progress Party's fourth candidate on the Rogaland ballot. Following the election there was some confusion about the result because of a calculation error at Statistics Norway which showed that Karmøy mayor Kjell Arvid Svendsen (KrF) had won the 12th seat instead of Thorsen. When this was corrected, it turned out that Thorsen had won the seat and that Svendsen was out.After finishing grade school in 1974, Thorsen entered the Bergeland vocational school to train as a hairdresser. This was her profession until 2009.Berit Brørby
Age: 73Berit Brørby (born 5 December 1950) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She was President of the Nordic Council in 1998. She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Oppland in 1985, and has been re-elected on five occasions. Brørby was President of the Odelsting 2005–2009. Brørby was born in Oslo. At a local level, she was a member of Jevnaker municipality council from 1979 to 1983, and of Oppland county council from 1979 to 1987.Berit Oskal Eira
Age: 73Berit Oskal Eira (born 1 March 1951) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She was elected to the Sami Parliament of Norway in 2001, but was not re-elected in 2005. From 2005 to 2007, while the second cabinet Stoltenberg held office, she was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion.- Age: 69Berit Reiss-Andersen (born 11 July 1954 in Drøbak) is a Norwegian lawyer, author and former politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. She is chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the 5-member committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize. She is also a board member of the Nobel Foundation, which has the overall responsibility for all the five Nobel Prizes. She served as state secretary for the Minister of Justice and Police from 1996 to 1997 and as President of the Norwegian Bar Association from 2008 to 2012. She has co-authored two crime novels with former Minister of Justice Anne Holt. She is currently a partner at DLA Piper's Oslo office.
Bernt Holtsmark
Dec. at 81 (1859-1941)Bernt Holtsmark (27 December 1859 – 20 April 1941) was a Norwegian farmer and politician for the Conservative Party and the Liberal Left Party. He was a four-term member of the Parliament of Norway, and served as Minister of Agriculture from 1910 to 1912. He was also known for establishing the agricultural college at Sem in his native Asker.Bjarte Tørå
Age: 70Bjarte Tørå (born 20 May 1953) is a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party. He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Telemark during the terms 1981–1985 and 1985–1989. He is a former secretary of international affairs in the Christian Democratic Party. Hailing from Nordagutu, he has also been involved in local politics. He later worked for the National Democratic Institute, as country director in Kenya.Bjørg Tørresdal
Age: 65Bjørg Tørresdal (born 24 September 1958 in Madla) is a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party. She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Rogaland in 2001, and has been re-elected on one occasion. She married Inge Ryan from the Socialist Left Party in 2005.Ahead of the 2009 election, Tørresdal declined a renomination as the Christian Democrats' second candidate from Rogaland. However, she accepted the nomination as the first candidate from Nord-Trøndelag, where she had moved to be with her husband. The election gave the Christian Democrats only 4% of the vote in Nord-Trøndelag, and she was far away from winning a seat.Bjørn Arild Gram
Age: 51Bjørn Arild Gram (born 7 May 1972 in Steinkjer) is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party. He studied at Nord-Trøndelag University College from 1991 to 1997 and took the siv.øk. degree at Bodø University College in 2000. He was employed in Telenor Mobil in 2000.From 1996 to 1998 he chaired the Centre Youth, the youth wing of the Centre Party. On the local level Gram is the mayor of Steinkjer since 2007, having formerly been a member of the county council from 1991 to 2000. He was a member of Nord-Trøndelag county council from 1995, and has chaired the county party chapter.He served as a deputy representative to the Parliament of Norway from Nord-Trøndelag during the terms 1993–1997, 2001–2005, 2005–2009 and 2013–2017. From 2005 to 2007 Gram was a member of Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet as State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. In 2013, as Marit Arnstad from Nord-Trøndelag was a member of the outgoing Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet, Gram met as a regular representative during the two weeks before the cabinet change.Bjørn Iversen
Age: 71Bjørn Iversen (born 18 March 1953) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. From 1989 to 1990, during the cabinet Syse, Iversen was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture. He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Nord-Trøndelag during the terms 1993–1997 and 1997–2001. On the local level Iversen is the mayor of Verdal since 2005.Bjørn Jacobsen
Age: 63Bjørn Jacobsen (born June 11, 1960 in Sandnessjøen, Helgeland) is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party (SV). He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Møre og Romsdal in 2001. He was a member of the Harstad municipality council from 1983–1985, and a deputy member in Molde from 1995-1999.Bjørn Jarle Rødberg Larsen
Age: 50Bjørn Jarle Ørnø Røberg-Larsen (born 1973, in Oslo) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party in the city of Elverum and in the regional parliament of Hedmark (Hedmark Fylkesting), as well as a Norwegian internet entrepreneur. He is also the editor and publisher of Sosialdemokraten.no, a blog about social democratic politics.Røberg-Larsen now holds the position as second deputy for the Labour Party to the regional parliament of Hedmark county (Hedmark Fylkesting). From 2007 to 2009, he served as the first deputy and from 2009 to 2011 as permanent council member. He has in particular engaged in political issues concerning transportation and infrastructure. Since May 2012, he represents the counties of Hedmark, Oppland and Akershus as their first deputy to the Port Board of Oslo (Oslo Havnestyre). Between 2008 and 2010, Røberg-Larsen was chairman in the Elverum branch of the Labour Party. He now holds the position as leader of Leiret Arbeiderlag, the Labour Party's largest division between Oslo and Trondheim (205 members per 31.12.2012). Between 1992 and 1994, Røberg Larsen was treasurer and youth secretary of the Oslo chapter of the Workers' Youth League (AUF). While the organization in reality had about 700 members, the local leaders of the organization had informed the municipal authorities that they had 1201 members, resulting in fraud of 283,000 kr in 1992. Røberg-Larsen was the only board member of the organization that admitted to the facts of the false information. He was as well the only of the four prosecuted board members that assisted both the police and the municipal authorities by explaining what he had been involved in. His openness led to an ice front between him and the organization, and on 12 December 1996, he was excluded from AUF.Røberg-Larsen is the sole shareholder of BJRL Media LtdBjørn Johnny Skaar
Age: 52Bjørn Johnny Skaar (born 14 August 1971) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. From 1996 to 1998 he was the leader of the Young Conservatives (Unge Høyre), the youth wing of the Conservative Party. He served in the position of deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Oslo during the term 1997–2001. In 2001, during the second cabinet Bondevik, Skaar was appointed political advisor in the Ministry of the Environment. In 2004 he changed ministry to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He held the post until the change in government in 2005.Borghild Tenden
Age: 72Borghild Tenden (born June 23, 1951 in Stryn) is a Norwegian politician for the Liberal Party. She served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus from 1997-2001, and was elected as a full representative in 2005. She served as the first deputy chair the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications. Although the 2009 parliamentary election ended badly for the Liberal Party, Tenden won a seat in Akershus. She and Trine Skei Grande from Oslo made up the Liberal Party's parliamentary delegation. In 2013 she was offered the second ballot spot behind Abid Raja. She declined and retired from politics.Bror Yngve Rahm
Age: 69Bror Yngve Rahm (born 4 January 1955 in Porsgrunn) is a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Telemark in 1997, and was re-elected on one occasion. Rahm was a member of Telemark county council during the term 1995–1999.Børge Brende
Age: 58Børge Brende (born 25 September 1965) is a Norwegian politician and diplomat of the Conservative Party serving as President of the World Economic Forum since 2017. He previously was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2017, Minister of the Environment from 2001 to 2004 and Minister of Trade and Industry from 2004 to 2005. He also was a member of the Norwegian Parliament from 1997 to 2009.Carl I. Hagen
Age: 79Carl Ivar Hagen (born 6 May 1944) is a Norwegian politician and former Vice President of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament. He was the leader of the Progress Party from 1978 to 2006, when he stepped down in favour of Siv Jensen. Under his leadership, he was the undisputed leader and, in many ways, personally controlled its ideology and policies. Hagen has since been regarded by both political scientists, and political colleagues and rivals alike as one of the greatest politicians in Norwegian history for his ability to build a hugely successful party up from scratch and his significant impact on Norwegian politics. He has been described as the first postmodern politician in Norway. While his ideology is classical liberalism with some conservativism, his political style has been described as right-wing populist.Carl Viggo Lange
Dec. at 95 (1904-1999)Carl Viggo Manthey Lange (9 April 1904 – 31 May 1999) was a Norwegian physician and politician for the Labour Party. He was born in Kristiania as a son of Christian Lous Lange (1869–1938) and Bertha Manthey (1867–1947), and brother of August and Halvard Manthey Lange. He enrolled as a student in 1922, and graduated with the cand.med. degree in 1929. While studying he was a member of Mot Dag, where he organized study circles for both members and non-members, and contributed to the periodical Populært Tidsskrift for Seksuell Oplysning. He was the chairman of the Norwegian Students' Society in 1933, and of the Student Society in Trondheim in 1939. Lange worked as a physician in Oslo from 1930, and then in Trondheim from 1934 to 1946. The exception was the period from 1942 to 1945, when he was imprisoned at Falstad concentration camp by the Nazi occupants of Norway. He was acting stadsfysikus from 1946 to 1947, and also health inspector in Trondheim from 1946 to 1955. He became involved in politics, and was a member of Trondheim city council from 1945 to 1955, from 1945 to 1950 and 1954 to 1955 as a member of the executive committee. He was elected to the Parliament of Norway from the Market towns of Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trøndelag counties in 1949, where he was a member of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs. He was not re-elected in 1953, but served as a deputy representative during the term 1950–1953.From 1955 to 1964 he was district physician in Oddernes, and from 1964 to his retirement in 1974 he was a county physician in Vest-Agder. When he applied for the post in Vest-Agder, the Norwegian Directorate for Health led by Karl Evang suggested that another candidate be hired. However, Minister of Health Olav Gjærevoll overturned the recommendation and gave Lange the position. This was criticized as a "politicized" appointment.Lange was board chairman of the Norwegian People's Aid chapter in Trondheim from 1939 to 1946, board member of Trøndelag Teater from 1946 to 1949 and of the Norwegian Medical Association from 1948 to 1949. He died in May 1999.Carsten Anker
Dec. at 76 (1747-1824)Carsten Tank Anker (17 November 1747 – 13 March 1824) was a Norwegian businessman, civil servant, politician and one of the Fathers of the Constitution of Norway. He was the owner of the manor house in Akershus at which the original National Assembly (Riksforsamlingen) of Norway was held. The manor house has since then been given the name Eidsvollsbygningen.Carsten Dybevig
Age: 61Carsten Dybevig (born 29 January 1963 in Halden) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. He served as a deputy representative in the Norwegian Parliament from Østfold during the term 2005–2009. During the first three years term he sat as a regular representative, meanwhile Ingjerd Schou was appointed to the second cabinet Bondevik. Dybevig held various positions in Halden municipality council from 1991 to 2007, serving as mayor from 1995 to 2001.Cathrin Bretzeg
Age: 59Cathrin Bretzeg (born 17 February 1965) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. In 2004, while the second cabinet Bondevik held office, she was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. She lost this job when the cabinet fell following the 2005 election. She served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus during the term 2005–2009.Christian August Selmer
Dec. at 72 (1816-1889)Christian August Selmer (16 November 1816 – 1 September 1889) was a Norwegian lawyer and a magistrate. He served as a member of the Norwegian Parliament, Minister of Defense and Minister of Justice. He was Prime Minister of Norway between 1880 and 1884.Christian Hintze Holm
Age: 59Christian Hintze Holm (born 8 December 1964) is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party. He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus during the term 2001–2005.On the local level Holm is the mayor of Nesodden since 2003.Christian Holtermann Knudsen
Dec. at 83 (1845-1929)Christian Holtermann Knudsen (15 July 1845 – 21 April 1929) was a Norwegian typographer, newspaper editor, publisher, trade unionist and politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. He is known as chairman of his party in three non-consecutive periods, and also founded what would become the main party newspaper. He served three terms in the Norwegian Parliament.Christian Homann Schweigaard
Dec. at 60 (1838-1899)Christian Homann Schweigaard (14 October 1838 – 24 March 1899) was a Norwegian Prime Minister. He was the Prime Minister of Norway for three months in 1884, a period after the impeachment of Prime Minister Christian August Selmer called Schweigaard's Ministerium. Schweigaard held a number of key positions, including Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1889–1891 and 1893–1896, as well as Parliamentary Leader from 1889-1891 and 1894–1895. He was Emil Stang's indispensable partner, leading the Conservative Party's policy and organizational development in the 1880s and 1890s.Christian Tybring-Gjedde
Age: 60Christian Tybring-Gjedde (born 8 August 1963) is a Norwegian politician for the Progress Party, and former senior civil servant. He has been a member of the Norwegian parliament since 2005, and was the leader of the Progress Party's Oslo chapter from 2010 to 2014. Before entering politics, he worked as Assistant Director-General in the Norwegian Ministry of Defence. Tybring-Gjedde identifies himself as a classical liberal, particularly on economical issues, advocating limited government intervention, reducing public spending and has called for large scale tax reduction. More conservative and outspoken on social and cultural issues, Tybring-Gjedde has stoked controversy on numerous occasions. He believes immigration policy to be the single most important political issue facing Norwegian society.In 2014 he released his book about immigration politics titled Mens orkesteret fortsetter å spille.Christina Ramsøy
Age: 37Christina Nilsson Ramsøy (born 4 November 1986) is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party. She was born in Steinkjer, and finished secondary school there in 2005. The then studied for two years in Trondheim. She was elected to both Steinkjer municipal council and Nord-Trøndelag county council in 2007. She served one year in the municipal council and the whole four-year term in the county council. She was also the leader of the Centre Youth, the youth wing of the Centre Party, from 2007 to 2009, having chaired the county chapter from 2003 to 2007 and been a central board member from 2006 to 2007.In the 2009 Norwegian parliamentary election she was elected as a deputy representative to the Parliament of Norway from Nord-Trøndelag. As regular representative Lars Peder Brekk was a cabinet member, she was promoted to a full member of Parliament. She was a member of the Standing Committee on Family and Cultural Affairs. This tenure ended in June 2012, when Brekk returned to Parliament.
