A Political and Economic Dictionary of Western Europe, First Edition
Kjell Magne Bondevik has been Prime Minister of Norway since October 2001. A member of the Christian People’s Party (KrF), he currently heads a minority government together with the Conservative Party and the Liberals. The parties won voter favour in 2001 by promising improvements in public services; they have also reduced taxes, using income from Norwegian oil wealth instead. In addition, Bondevik agreed not to raise the issue of whether Norway should submit a new application for membership of the European Union.
Bondevik was first elected to the Norwegian Storting in 1973 and served as leader of the KrF in 1983–95. He was state secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister in 1972–73, Minister for Church and Education in 1983–86, Deputy Prime Minister in 1985–86 and Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1989–90. Bondevik first served as Prime Minister in 1997–2000 until an environmental dispute brought down his centrist minority coalition.
Born on 3 September 1947 in Molde, Bondevik is a graduate in theology from Norway’s Free Faculty of Theology. In 1979 he was ordained as a priest in the Lutheran Church of Norway. He is married and has three children.
Address: The Office of the Prime Minister, Akersgt 42 or POB 8001 Dep, 0030 Oslo, Norway
Tel: (0)22–24–90–90
Fax: (0)22–24–95–00
E-mail: postmottak@smk.dep.no
Internet: odin.dep.no/smk/engelsk/index-b-n-a.html
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